Part 19 (1/2)

Then they were silent, and presently Skipper Ed knew that the boys were sleeping But for a long tiht of other lands, and the friends of his youth and the days when he lived in luxury; and he wondered if, after all, he had been one whit happier in those days, with all the fine things he had, than were Bobby and Jied land, with no luxuries whatever ”We do not needto be happy Health and love, and enough plain food to eat and clothes to cover us, and a shelter--even a snow house--and we have enough”

Before day broke they were astir; and the sun had not yet risen when they repacked their sledges and harnessed the dogs, and drove down over the ice toward the _sena_ For athe pressure ridges, and had to pick their course in and out for another two miles before they came at last to the open sea

Seals were nu pans of ice, and the dogs began to strain and howl in eagerness to attack the ga hoops of walrus hide thrown over the front of the _koed into the snow under the runners and stopped the whips could induce the ani to have a dandy hunt!” exclailoo_ later?”

”Don't you think we had better build the _igloo_ first?” suggested Skipper Ed, laughing at Bobby's eagerness ”Then e're tired on't have it to do, or to think about, and we'll have a shelter all ready Let us ht,” and Bobby grinned

One of the two laloo_ on Itigailit Island, which was to be their land base and their cache But they had brought with theloo_ coood bank of snoas found, not too far froloo_ was ready and everything stowed safely away fros Then the two teams, still fast in their traces, were picketed behind the ice huloo_, for had they been set at liberty each dog would have gone hunting on his own account, and the seals would have been driven frouns

Now, each armed with a rifle, and Bobby with a harpoon, they stole doard the seals, crawling toward theh_!” in i bark of the seals, until they approached quite near Then, al up, ran forward Two seals had been shot clear through the head, and lay dead on the ice, but the other, though wounded, had slipped into the water Bobby drew his harpoon, and holding it poised waited, until presently a dozen feet away the wounded seal ca to the surface In a flash the harpoon flew fro hunter's hand and struck its mark, and with the assistance of Skipper Ed and Jimmy he drew it to the ice

These seals were of a species which they called ”harps,” because of the peculiar, harp-shaped s on their back; and of the hair variety, for none of the valuable fur seals inhabits north Atlantic waters The skins, however, when dressed into leather by Mrs Abel, would prove of splendid quality for boot tops, or, when dressed without re the hair, would supply the for their coed that the terees below zero, and that even the temperature of the sea water, where it was unfrozen, ell below the freezing point Once or twice, indeed, in spite of their enthusiasloo_, where a la, to warm themselves

Late that afternoon Jimmy wounded a seal on an ice pan, and it went into the water He seized a harpoon, but when the seal rose to the surface it was so far away that the line could not reach it

”Here!” shouted Bobby, laying down his gun and grabbing a paddle which he had brought froency, ”juet hi it as a raft, Bobby paddled a few yards

”There! There!” shouted Bobby ”There he is He's et him!”

Jim with his paddle, and poising the harpoon was about to cast it when the pan, too heavily weighted on that side, began slowly to turn Bobby did not see this, but Jimmy did

”Don't move!” shouted Jimmy ”Stay where you are!”

And, without hesitation, Jih he knew there was small chance for him to swim, and, overcome by the shock of the terrible cold, he sank beneath the waves

The pan righted itself iht, and Bobby, realizing what Jimmy had done, and that his friend had sacrificed hi blankly at the spot where Jimmy had sunk

CHAPTER XXI

WHO WAS THE HERO?

Bobby did not lose his head After his ht quickly, and acted instantly, and now his bewilder the harpoon which Jiht Skipper Ed to the water's edge in a hurry, and when Skipper Ed ca down Bobby had already thrown off his _netsek_ and histhe loose end of the harpoon line around his waist Grasping the harpoon, he cast it upon the main ice, with the coasped Skipper Ed ”What has happened? Where is Jimmy? Where is Partner?”

”In there! Stand by and help!” directed Bobby, who had not taken his eyes off the dark water where Ji instant when he cast his harpoon to Skipper Ed

Presently Jiled to the surface, already apparently overcoe

Bobby saw hi after him, seized him about the waist and held hihts with death A le followed and then both lads went down

Skipper Ed now comprehended Bobby's suddenly forth upon the line, and as he pulled Bobby, still grasping Jiain to the surface, and Skipper Ed giving impetus to the line, drew them to him, seized them and quite easily drew them upon the ice