SCHAROK AGAIN 261 



This was the day on which the Saxon was due, but 

 obviously she could not have got in. I kept an eye to 

 seaward all the same, for how wide our ice-belt actually 

 was we did not know. 



But there was never a sign of a sail nor a steamer's 

 smoke on the horizon. 



We were now fairly settled down to the full idea of 

 camp life, and although I never ceased to regret the want 

 of many scientific necessaries which had gone away with 

 the yacht, still as regards the means of existence we 

 were fairly well supplied. It is true that the food we 

 had brought with us was all but exhausted, and though 

 we managed to make a few things — our ham, for instance 

 — struggle on for a bit longer, this was only by not 

 eating them, or by taking but an odd mouthful in the 

 day. But we could always shoot a long-tailed duck, and 

 though we didn't like it, it proved sufficient. We had 

 wood, and though it was not easier but harder to cut up 

 than before, for we had long since burnt all the easy 

 pieces, we were better hands now with the axe. We 

 had water, though we had to boil every drop before 

 drinking. Even dear old Sailor was comfortably housed ; 

 he now lived in the barrel which once had held our 

 food, rat-traps, and other appliances. My capital rat- 

 and mouse-traps were useless — there was nothing to 

 catch. 



By this time we had proved to demonstration the 

 absence of all native terrestrial mammals except the red 



