Page:A Wild-Goose Chase - Balmer - 1915.djvu/242

228 "Burned?"

"Yes, north of here—two months ago."

"What?"

Now that she had started she saw no way except to tell him all.

"It burned with almost all our supplies."

"I see." Hedon looked at McNeal, then about the circle of men, and then round the little shelter. "Where were you going?" he asked.

"South to find the Eskimos."

He winced.

"What is it?" Margaret cried with concern.

"The Eskimos are south of here—just a little. You've almost got to them. It was one of them told me you were here. But"—now he hesitated, and looked from the girl to the others, and then told them—"I was trying to get to you to turn you back to your ship as soon as I could. For the Eskimos themselves are starving. The hunt was bad this fall and they're getting almost nothing this winter. They've not got food enough for themselves. There's no living on this part of the country this year."