CHAPTER XXIX

FIGHTING OFF STARVATION

Yet to kill off one of the dogs was a serious undertaking, as they well knew. In that country to travel without a dog sledge was all but impossible, and the remaining animals might fail them at any moment.

"Let us wait until tomorrow," said Andy. "Something may turn up."

"I'd rather have something to eat now," growled Chet.

"I will deal out a little pemmican," answered Barwell Dawson, and served each person about five ounces.

Then, with increasing slowness, they covered three miles more. Ahead was a little hill, and the explorer thought to climb this and take a look around, to get his bearings.

Hardly had he climbed the hill when he uttered a cry, calling the others to him.

"There is something to our right," he said. "Some dark object half hidden in the snow."

"Perhaps another memento of the Peary expedition," grumbled Chet. "I don't want any more of 'em--I want to get back."

"We'll have a look," cried Andy. He turned to his chum. "Come, brace up, Chet, and stop grumbling, that's a good fellow."

"All right!" exclaimed Chet, suddenly. "I suppose you've got as much right to grumble as I have. But my stomach is as flat as a pancake," he continued, woefully. "I could fill up on sawdust, if I had any."

All of the party set off in the direction of the object Barwell Dawson had discovered. The explorer was in advance, and suddenly he set up a ringing shout:

"Saved! saved!"

"What do you mean?" asked Chet, quickly.

"It is our old sledge--the one the dogs ran away with. It is stuck in a crack of the ice."

"Are the stores on it?" asked Andy.

"Yes, everything seems to be here," returned the explorer, joyfully.

How the sledge had gotten there they did not know, and, at that moment, they did not care. Probably the floating ice had bumped against the shore and the dogs had started northward, not knowing what else to do. Then the sledge had become caught in the crack, and the dogs, growing impatient, had broken their harness. They had gnawed at the coverings of the stores, but had been unable to get at the food, and had then disappeared utterly.

The finding of the sledge with its provisions, and its supply of alcohol, filled the entire party with joy, and they uttered a prayer to Heaven for their deliverance from what looked to be starvation. As quickly as it could be done, they fixed the little stove and lit it, and made themselves a steaming hot broth, which they devoured with gusto. Then they fed the dogs, built a rough _igloo_, and sank down in a profound slumber, from which nobody awakened until ten hours later.

"Although we have found these supplies, we must be very sparing of them," said Barwell Dawson, when they awoke. "There is no telling when or how we will be able to get more--certainly not until we have joined the rest of our party, and gotten down to where we can find game."

All were now anxious to rejoin those who had been left behind, and they journeyed steadily southward as fast as the weather would permit. They had one wide lead to cross, and it took a whole day to get to the south shore. Then came more snow, and they had to lose a day.

But luck was with them, and one day, late in the afternoon, they heard a loud shout, and saw an Esquimau, standing on a hillock of ice, waving his arms at them. It was Olalola, and they soon reached him.

"Chief Dawson reach the Big Nail?" asked the Esquimau, eagerly.

"We did," was the answer.

"Olalola much glad," went on the native, and his smiling face proved his words.

All in the camp, including Dr. Slade, who was better, were glad that those who had gone to the Pole had returned, and the very next day everything was packed on the sledges, and the journey to the ship was begun. The food supply was very low, and all the extra dogs were killed and fed to the other canines. The Esquimaux lived on blubber and walrus meat. The boys tried blubber once, but had to give it up.

"It turns me wrong side out in a minute," was the way Andy expressed it.

As they drew further south the weather moderated, for which they were thankful. But they had much open water to cross, and this consumed a good deal of time.

"I wouldn't mind it, if only we could find something to eat," said Chet. He suffered more from hunger than did any of the others, for he had always been a hearty eater.

The next morning there was great excitement among the natives. A musk-ox had been seen, and all were eager for the hunt.

"We must get that beast by all means," said Andy. "Think what it means--ox-roast galore!"

The trail of the game was readily followed, and about seven o'clock in the evening the hunters came upon a herd of six musk oxen, resting in the shelter of a small hill. They surrounded the game, and succeeded in bringing down three of them. The others were pursued, but managed to get away.

"This ends short rations," was Chet's comment, and his eyes brightened wonderfully. What he said was true, and that evening the explorers enjoyed a better meal than they had had for many weeks. The Esquimaux and dogs came in for their full share, and the big meal put even Estankawak in good humor, and he thought no more of deserting them.

As they came down into the heart of Ellesmere Land they picked up Mr. Camdal and his party. They shot other game, and so had all the food they could eat, and more. The hunting just suited Barwell Dawson, for, as he told the boys, he was more of a hunter than he was an explorer.

"How soon do you suppose we'll reach the _Ice King_?" asked Andy, one day.

"If we have luck, we ought to sight the vessel in four or five days."

"Will you sail for home at once?"

"I think so, Andy. I presume you'll be glad to get back," and Mr. Dawson smiled faintly.

"Yes and no," replied the youth. "I won't know what to do after I return. I don't want to live with Uncle Si."

"You ought to go on another hunt for those missing papers."

"I'll do that, of course."

"And even if you can't find them, I'll look into the matter, and see if I can't learn what rights your father had in that timber tract. I'll not have much to do myself for a while. I'll not want to go on another exploring expedition in a hurry."

So far, aside from Dr. Slade's attack, there had been but little sickness in the party, but on the next day Barwell Dawson was taken down, and all had to go into camp for three days until he felt better. During that time, Andy and Chet went out hunting, and brought down another polar bear, of which they were justly proud.

"It's a great place to hunt," said Andy. "But I don't think I care to come up here again."

"Nor I," added Chet. Then he heaved a long sigh. "I wish----" He stopped short.

"What, Chet? Were you thinking of your father?" And Andy's voice softened.

"Yes, I was. I thought sure, when I came up here, that I'd get some trace of him."

"It's too bad. I wish I could help you," answered Andy, and that was all he could say.

With their broken sledges and their small dog teams, the party moved slowly forward, to where the _Ice King_ had been left along the coast. They did not expect to find the vessel fast in the ice, but hoped that Captain Williamson would be cruising near, on the lookout for them.

"When we get to the coast, if the vessel is not in sight, we'll fire some signals," said Barwell Dawson. "The captain will be sure to answer them."

Two days more passed, and they came to something of an open bay, dotted here and there with floating ice. At the sight, the boys set up a cheer:

"The sea! The sea!"

It was indeed the sea--or, rather, the upper entrance to Smith Sound. The party had traveled too far to the eastward, and had now to turn southward, skirting the coast. Here the going was very rough, and the very next morning one of the sledges went down in a crack of the ice, and was smashed completely.

"Thank goodness we do not need it any longer," was Barwell Dawson's comment. What stores the sledge had contained were hauled up from the crack and loaded on the remaining turnouts.

Another day passed, and now all kept on the lookout for a sign of the ship. But though they climbed to the top of a high hill, skirting the coast, no sign of a vessel was to be seen anywhere.

Again they resumed their journey, and thus two days passed. Then Andy, who was in the lead with Olalola, set up a cry:

"I see the hut and the storehouse!"

He was right; they had at last arrived at the spot where they had embarked from the _Ice King_. The place was deserted, and they could easily see where the steamer had pushed through the floating ice, and made her way to the broad lead beyond.

"We'll hoist our flag, and fire a signal," said Barwell Dawson, and without delay a pole was nailed to the top of the storehouse, and Old Glory was swung to the breeze. Then one of the shotguns was fired off three times in succession. All waited long for some answer to the reports, but none came.

"He must have gone off for some reason or other," said Barwell Dawson. "All we can do is to wait for his return."

"Perhaps the steamer was hit by an iceberg and sunk," suggested Professor Jeffer.

"Let us hope no such calamity has befallen us," answered the explorer, gravely.

It sobered all of the party a good deal to find themselves alone at the spot where they had so confidently thought to find the _Ice King_. They knew that there was great danger of a "squeeze" in the floating ice, and wondered what they should do if the craft had gone to the bottom of the polar sea. They might possibly get down to a point opposite Etah, but it would be a hard journey, and after it was made there was no telling if they could cross the water to that settlement.

Three days went by, and the hearts of the party sank lower and lower. A few went out hunting, for the larder was again getting low. But for the most part all remained in the vicinity of the shore, awaiting eagerly some sign of the missing steamer.

At last, early one morning, Andy made out a cloud of smoke far off on the water. He drew Chet's attention to it, and then called Olalola. The three watched the cloud draw nearer, and at last the Esquimau began to smile.

"Ship," he said. "Ship with fire!"--meaning thereby a steam vessel.

The word was soon passed that a ship was in sight, and all gathered to watch the approach of the craft. As it came closer, they saw that it was the _Ice King_, and on the deck stood Captain Williamson and his crew waving them a welcome. The captain had seen them with his spyglass.

"Hurrah for the _Ice King_!" cried Chet, and the cheer was given with a will.

"This ends our troubles here," added Andy. "Now to get aboard and start for home!"