Part 22 (1/2)
The two girls looked at one another solemnly for a full minute In their larder was still a little tea, a pint bottle of weak duck soup, a half-can of much frozen condensed milk--and that was all They were on an island of which as yet they knew nothing Above theiant ice-pans rose, crue,” said Lucile, at length; then energetically: ”Let's et up there, we'll explore our island We'll have three or four hours of daylight left, and if there's anything for us to eat anywhere, the sooner we find it out the better”
The climb to the top of the island, which they undertook an hour later, was scarcely less dangerous than had been the struggle to cross the tuantic granite bowlder rising for a distance of so a narrow shelf where a slip on so to death in the tumbled mass of ice below They scaled an all but perpendicular wall, to drag their sleeping-bag and the few other belongings, which they had dared attempt to carry, after them by the aid of a skin-rope Then, after a few ain
But at last, their efforts rewarded, they found thee of a snow-capped plateau ”Now,” said Lucile, ”if there are any people living on the island, it won't be on top of it, but in some sheltered cranny down by the shore where they are away fro winds and where they can hunt and fish”
”But think what they es who have never seen a white man We don't even knohether we are a hundredStraits or five hundred And neither of us has ever been on an island in the Arctic Ocean!”
”That,” said Lucile, ”has nothing to do with it We're on one now We can't very well go back to the ocean ice We haven't any food We couldn't hide on this little island if ished to So the best thing to do is to try to find the people, if there are any, and cast our lot with thereat bishop say that 'huot to believe that and go ahead”
Shouldering the sleeping-bag, and leaving to Marian the re seal-oil in the skin-sack, the butcher knife, and the fishi+ng outfit, she marched steadily forward on a course which in time would enable them to make the outer circle of the island
”See those piles of stones?” Lucile said fifteen minutes later ”Those did not just happen to be there They were put there by menSee how carefully they are piled The piles look tall and slim I have heard a sea captain say that the natives of this coast, in very early days, when there arring ah points like this to make those who desired to attack them think they were men, and that there were many warriors in the place”
”Then,” said Marian, catching her breath at the thought, ”there must be people on this island”
”Not for sure,” said Lucile ”The people who piled up those rocksthis island as a hunting station; and then, even if they were living here perious diseases ain in silence Everywhere the rocky riestion of a path down to the foot, or of a rocky shelf belohere a group of hunters e
”There's a place somewhere,” said Lucile stoutly, as she lowered her burden to the snow and paused for a brief rest ”There's a path down and wemore than to find a safe spot by the sea where we can fish for s when, at length, with a little cry of joy, Lucile sprang forward, then began a cautious descent over a winding and apparently orn trail which even the snow did not co wildly, in utter silence theyway--to what? That, they could not tell
Finally Lucile paused She caught her breath quickly and clutched at her throat
At length, in a calht of the trail
”See that square of white?”
Marian strained her eyes to peer through the gathering darkness
”Yes,” she said at last, ”I see it”
”That,” said Lucile in a tone that was tense with emotion, ”is the roof of a house--a white asped Marian
”There's nothing as square as that in nature's panorama And a native does not build a house like that”
”And if it is?”
”If it is, we h I'd alain the rough, unke and whaling with the natives They were a hard, bad lot, and she knew it
”Well,” she sighed, ”coo down”