ACROSS THE MOVING ICE 
189 
been so completely terrified that I believe he would 
have died of fright. 
The method by which he worked his way across 
with the poles was one which is followed among 
the Newfoundland sealers; many a time I had 
done the same thing when I was a youngster. You 
take bigger chances in sealing than we averaged 
to take in the Arctic. You leave the ship in the 
morning and go out on the ice to kill seals. You 
take no tea, no tent or shelter of any kind; per¬ 
haps all you have is a little food in your bag. The 
weather is fine and offers no indications of change. 
You get off eight or ten miles from the ship, which 
is perhaps the only one in that vicinity, a couple 
of hundred miles from land, when suddenly the ice 
cracks and open leads form between you and the 
ship. Your only chance of safety is that the men 
on the ship, who are constantly sweeping the hori¬ 
zon with powerful glasses, have foreseen what is 
going to happen and know where you are. If the 
ice is open near the ship they will steam over and 
pick you up. If not they will blow the whistle 
and let you know where the ship is, for the chances 
are that there is a storm breaking upon you with 
high winds and snow, so that you can see the ship 
only a short time. You have no dogs, no canvas, 
no snowshoes, no hot coffee, no stove. If the ship 
cannot reach you, or you cannot make your way 
