268 HUNTING WITH THE ESKIMOS 



approaching from Ellesmere Land. Who they were 

 we could not imagine, for none of our people had 

 crossed during the winter, and it was remarkable that 

 these men were without dogs. 



I told the Eskimos to get their dogs and sledges 

 ready at once, hurried into warm fur clothing, and 

 was barely in time, so rapidly did the Eskimos work, 

 to jump upon Ilabrado's sledge as it dashed over the 

 ice-foot to meet the approaching travelers. 



Sipsu was a long way ahead of us, Tukshu next 

 and Ilabrado and myself behind. For two miles the 

 going was smooth and fine, and the komatiks kept 

 their places; then, just as we reached the rough ice, 

 the traces of Tukshu's dogs became entangled and 

 we passed him. Ilabrado had a big team of twelve 

 dogs and we soon passed Sipsu also, and a mile be- 

 yond the smooth ice were the first to meet the three 

 tired, hungry travelers a white man and two Eski- 

 mos, though there was little in their outward appear- 

 ance to distinguish the one from the other. 



Great was my astonishment when the white man in- 

 troduced himself as Dr. Frederick A. Cook, whom we 

 had come to believe had long since perished in the 

 North. The two Eskimos were Ahwelah and Etuk- 

 ishuk, his sole companions during a long period of 

 wandering. For nearly two years they had been cut 

 off from all civilization for the greater part of this 

 period from even the companionship of Eskimos. 

 For the first time in more than a year Dr. Cook was 

 enabled to converse in his native tongue, for his Eski- 



