SUDDEN ALARM. 
1ST 
them. The roaring of the tide and the subdued wail 
of the dogs made me fear for the worst. I had to walk 
through the broken ice, which rose in toppling spires 
over my head, for nearly fifty yards, before I found an 
opening to the ice-face, by which I was able to climb 
down to them. A few cuts of a sheath-knife released 
them, although the caresses of the dear brutes had like 
to have been fatal to me, for I had to straddle with 
one foot on the fast ice and the other on loose piled 
rubbish. But I got a line attached to the cross-pieces 
of the sledge-runners, flung it up on the ice-foot, and 
then piloted my dogs out of their slough. In about 
ten minutes, we were sweating along at eight miles an 
hour.” 
Every thing looked promising, and we were only 
waiting for intelligence that our advance party had de¬ 
posited its provisions in safety to begin our transit of 
the bay. Except a few sledge-lashings and some trifling 
accoutrements to finish, all was ready. 
We were at work cheerfully, sewing away at the 
skins of some moccasins by the blaze of our lamps, 
when, toward midnight, we heard the noise of steps 
above, and the next minute Sontag, Ohlsen, and Peter¬ 
sen came down into the cabin. Their manner startled 
me even more than their unexpected appearance on 
board. They were swollen and haggard, and hardly 
able to speak. 
Their story was a fearful one. They had left their 
companions in the ice, risking their own lives to bring 
✓ 
