Part 18 (1/2)
JIMMY'S SACRIFICE
For a little way the dogs traveled at a gallop, and Bobby and Skipper Ed had lively hile this lasted, guiding the _ko before the first excite upon a journey wore off, and after their manner the animals, with tails curled over their backs, settled down to a steady pulling Now and again they cae of ice piled up by the tide, and then it was necessary to lift at the _kos
Presently the ice hummocks were left behind and the smooth, white surface of the frozen bay stretched out before them The snohich covered the ice had been beaten down and hard packed by the wind, and the sledge runners slid over its surface so easily that the dogs increased their pace to a steady, rapid trot
The weather was fearfully cold The runners of the sledge squeaked and creaked Frost flakes on the hard packed snow glistened and scintillated in the ht and soon the _netseks_ of the travelers were covered hite hoar frost, ice formed upon their eyelashes and Skipper Ed's breath froze upon his beard until presently his face was almost hidden by a mass of ice
They ran by the side of the _ko for a little way to rest, and as they ran or walked they chatted gaily, conte in anticipation the sport and adventure in store for them
And so they traveled for three full hours before the first hint of daylight ca up over the white horizon in the southeast, and at length, very slowly, as though reluctant to show his face, and uncertain of his welcome, the sun peeked timidly over the ice field
Then, reassured, he boldly lifted his round, glowing face full into view, giving cheer and proe traveler the dreariest hour of the day, and the hour of bitterest cold, is that ih by consent our three friends during this period fell into silence, and none spoke until the sun looked out over the ice, and the frost-covered snow--each frost flake a h the snoas thick soith diamonds
[Illustration: They ran by the side of the _kolorious!” exclai by Ji a hand from its mitten for a moment to pick small particles of ice froht hand froan to rub the ht,” said he, donning his”Your nose was going dead[E] The end of it hite”
[E] Freezing
”I never felt it,” laughed Bobby ”Just look at the Skipper back there
He's a perfect ie of Santa Claus!”
”Exactly!” exclai back at Skipper Ed ”He's exactly like the picture of Santa Claus in that old ood dealreindeers, now, instead of dogs,” laughed Bobby, ”and I met hilistening with the frost that way, I'd think he had stepped right out of the old picture book”
”Good old Partner!” said Jimmy ”I think I'll drop back with hihtly fro for a while with Skipper Ed, while Bobby ran alone with his own sledge
Once a lonely raven cohted on the ice a quarter of a mile in advance of Bobby's teas saw it iallop Bobby threw hilee at the wild pace, and Skipper Ed's tea verydisregard for his safety, the raven, cocking his head first on one side, then on the other, surveyed the approaching dogs with interest, and to Bobby it sees would surely catch him
Old Tucktu, the leader, was apparently of the same mind and very sure of a tasty morsel, and they were alnified to hurry, rose leisurely on his wings, tantalizingly near to Tucktu's nose, and flapped away another quarter of a mile to repeat, with evident enjoyain into the blank spaces
When the raven had gone and the excitement was at an end, Bobby and Skipper Ed shouted ”_Ah_!” at their teas stopped, to co anihtened out the tangled traces and madesoes and ate their dry luncheon while the dogs jogged leisurely on again
The sun was setting when Bobby, noell in the lead, halted his teaailit Island to await Skipper Ed and Jimmy The sea, far out in the direction in which Abel had found Bobby in the drifting boat that August ailit Island the ses and huh seas had piled massive blocks one upon another and left the snow Far out beyond the pressure ridges Bobby could see a dark line which e of the sea ice and the place where open water began That was the _sena_ for which they were bound
”Don't you think we'd better build our _igloo_ here?” Bobby suggested as the others caht, anyway, and perhaps there won't be any good drifts out there”
”Yes, by all reed Skipper Ed ”We'll have plenty of tiood, and we prefer to stay there, we can build an _igloo_ at our leisure If we get plenty of seals ant to haul them in here to land to cache theet them all hauled ho theloo_ at each end of the trail, where we can make hot tea, if ish, and drink it in comfort”
They found an excellent drift in a spot well sheltered froer than Bobby and a better builder than Jimmy, Skipper Ed, with a snow knife which looked very ht instead of curved, marked a circle about ten feet in diae out of the snow in the center, and with this as a beginning he carved from each side of the hole blocks of the hard-packed snow, each block about two feet long and a foot and a half wide and ten inches thick These he placed on edge around the circle, fitting their ends close together by tri them as he found necessary, with the knife