Part 45 (1/2)

”We have got to have something to eat,” declared Chet. ”I am going to have one square meal, if I have to die tomorrow!”

”Chet!” exclaimed Andy, reprovingly.

”We'll kill one of the dogs and eat him,” said Barwell Dawson. ”It's the only way out of it.”

CHAPTER XXIX

FIGHTING OFF STARVATION

Yet to kill off one of the dogs was a serious undertaking, as they well knew. In that country to travel without a dog sledge was all but impossible, and the remaining animals might fail them at any moment.

”Let us wait until tomorrow,” said Andy. ”Something may turn up.”

”I'd rather have something to eat now,” growled Chet.

”I will deal out a little pemmican,” answered Barwell Dawson, and served each person about five ounces.

Then, with increasing slowness, they covered three miles more. Ahead was a little hill, and the explorer thought to climb this and take a look around, to get his bearings.

Hardly had he climbed the hill when he uttered a cry, calling the others to him.

”There is something to our right,” he said. ”Some dark object half hidden in the snow.”

”Perhaps another memento of the Peary expedition,” grumbled Chet. ”I don't want any more of 'em--I want to get back.”

”We'll have a look,” cried Andy. He turned to his chum. ”Come, brace up, Chet, and stop grumbling, that's a good fellow.”

”All right!” exclaimed Chet, suddenly. ”I suppose you've got as much right to grumble as I have. But my stomach is as flat as a pancake,” he continued, woefully. ”I could fill up on sawdust, if I had any.”

All of the party set off in the direction of the object Barwell Dawson had discovered. The explorer was in advance, and suddenly he set up a ringing shout:

”Saved! saved!”

”What do you mean?” asked Chet, quickly.

”It is our old sledge--the one the dogs ran away with. It is stuck in a crack of the ice.”

”Are the stores on it?” asked Andy.

”Yes, everything seems to be here,” returned the explorer, joyfully.

How the sledge had gotten there they did not know, and, at that moment, they did not care. Probably the floating ice had b.u.mped against the sh.o.r.e and the dogs had started northward, not knowing what else to do.

Then the sledge had become caught in the crack, and the dogs, growing impatient, had broken their harness. They had gnawed at the coverings of the stores, but had been unable to get at the food, and had then disappeared utterly.

The finding of the sledge with its provisions, and its supply of alcohol, filled the entire party with joy, and they uttered a prayer to Heaven for their deliverance from what looked to be starvation. As quickly as it could be done, they fixed the little stove and lit it, and made themselves a steaming hot broth, which they devoured with gusto.

Then they fed the dogs, built a rough _igloo_, and sank down in a profound slumber, from which n.o.body awakened until ten hours later.

”Although we have found these supplies, we must be very sparing of them,” said Barwell Dawson, when they awoke. ”There is no telling when or how we will be able to get more--certainly not until we have joined the rest of our party, and gotten down to where we can find game.”