86 HUNTERS OF THE GREAT NORTH 



miles safely and suggested that we risk another two 

 miles* and try for the end of the spit. The difficulty was 

 that in rounding the spit into the shelter of the harbor 

 we would come broadside to the sea and would probably 

 sink. However, we would have land on both sides and 

 a good chance of swimming or floating ashore, while there 

 was at least a possibility that we might make it and save 

 our cargo. 



Sten told us later that as he ran along the beach 

 parallel to us, our boat was frequently out of sight, mast 

 and all, in the trough between the towering waves, and 

 that each time we disappeared he fully expected we 

 would never rise again. Long before we got to the end 

 of the sandspit we had left him and the Eskimos far 

 behind although they did their best to keep up. We 

 were going pretty fast, and then the running is never 

 the best in the loose gravel on a beach. 



When we came to the end of the spit and had to turn 

 we eased the sail over gently and all leaned to the wind- 

 ward side of the boat to try to keep her on an even keel. 

 It was rare luck that no big wave struck us just then 

 and we barely rounded the point. We had everything 

 ready, dropped the sail as we came to and got in two or 

 three good pulls at the oars before our boat actually 

 began to sink. By then we were in such shallow water 

 that we saved complete sinking by jumping out, thus re- 

 lieving the boat of our weight and giving her a little 

 more freeboard. Three of the Eskimos got to the tip 

 of the spit just at that moment and rushed into the water 

 to meet us. Between us we almost carried the boat to 

 the beach. 



Sten, who was a little fat, came puffing up just then 

 and scolded us for not beaching the boat by the village 



