Part 19 (1/2)

”May be a valuable find Let's hurry,” exclai into a run, they soon reached its side

”Let's explore it!” whispered Marian ”You take the forecastle and I'll take the after-cabin,” she laughed, as she thrust her arm into the open space toward the stern of the kiak

”Why, there is so here, too!” answered Lucile excitedly, as her slender white hand tugged away at a bundle which had been thrust into the prow of the boat

”It's like going through your stocking Christ their dilemma in the excitee sealskin sack It was heavy and was tied tightly at the e plop as she turned it over

”Some sort of liquid,” she announced ”Probably seal-oil”

With difficulty she untied the strings and opened the sack Then quickly she pinched her nose ”Whew! What a s the bundle she had just dragged forth ”Yes, it's seal-oil That's a good find”

”Why? We can't use that stuff It er cheese! Whew!”

She quickly tied the sack up again

”Well,” said Lucile, ”we probably won't want to use it for food, but white people as fine-blooded as we have been co about a fire If we ever find any fuel where we're going--wherever that is--” she smiled a trifle uncertainly, ”we'll need some oil to help start the fire if the fuel is dao ashore?” laughed Marian

”It's well to be prepared for anything,” se”

Marian leaned forward eagerly while Lucile untied a leather thong

”Deerskins!” she cried exultantly ”Four of the! And wrapped in a sealskin square which will protect us frohtfully, ”that this nativea little trip up the coast, and if he was there s in our ark, for an Eskiency”

Once more they bent over the kiak, each one to search her corner

”Another sack!” cried Lucile; ”a hunting sack, with matches wrapped in oiled sealskin, a butcher knife, sos, a fish line with hook and sinker; two big needles stuck in a bit of canvas That's about all, but it's a lot”

”I've found a little circular wooden box,” said Marian ”More food, I guess; probably the kind you can't eat without gagging No,” she cried, after asquare of tea--the Russian kind, all pressed hard into a brick There's enough for a dozen tea parties

Oh, joy! here are three pilot biscuits!”

”Pilot biscuits!” Lucile danced about on the ice

These large brown disks of hardtack, so often despised, would not have been half so welcouess that's about all,” but Marian s yet We'll save these and eat the deer ”

”We'll be pretty awful hungry, I am afraid,” said Lucile, ”before we leave the ocean But orries me just now is a drink Do you suppose we could find an ice-pool of fresh water?”

A short search found them the desired pool, and each drank to her heart's content They then sat down upon the top of the kiak for a brief consultation After talkingthey could do was to re cleared It was true that the kiak, carefully ed, would carry them across the break in the floe, but, once across, they would be no better off than before, since they had no way of deter directions Furthermore, neither of them had ever handled a kiak and they knew all too hat a spillwater

”Guess we'd better stick right here,” said Marian, and Lucile agreed