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 
