keep them from freezing, and, even if they did find wood, they had no
ax with which to cut it. How far they would have to travel surrounded
by these conditions I had no idea. Indians without wood or food or a
sheltering bush would soon give up the fight and lie down to die. If
Potokomik and his men had perished, I knew that Easton and I could
hope for no relief from the outside and that our salvation would
depend entirely upon our own resourcefulness. It seemed to me the
time had come when some action must be taken.

It was a long while after dark, I do not know how long, and I still
lay awake turning these things over in my mind, when I heard a strange
sound. Everything had been deathly quiet for days, and I sat up. In
the great unbroken silence of the wilderness a man's fancy will make
him hear strange things. I have answered the shouts of men that my
imagination made me hear. But this was not fancy, for I heard it
again--a distinct shout! I jumped to my feet and called to Easton:
"They've come, boy! Get up, there's some one coming!" Then I hurried
outside and, in the dim light on the white stretch of snow, saw a
black patch of men and dogs. Our rescuers had come.



CHAPTER XVII

TO WHALE RIVER AND FORT CHIMO

The feeling of relief that came to me when I heard the shout and saw
the men and dogs coming can be appreciated, and something of the
satisfaction I felt when I grasped the hands of the two Eskimos that
strode up on snowshoes can be understood.