Page:Life with the Esquimaux - 1864 - Volume 1.djvu/275

254 to the main or sea-ice, and thence, after passing a few rods east, he turned again to his course south, which he had pursued before turning to the berg. "It was now half-past 4 On we continued, though the steps of my companion were growing moderate. Down again we threw ourselves flat upon the ice. While we were thus resting listlessly, Johnston cried out, 'Hark! I do hear the dogs.' No sooner had he spoken this than the driver's cry came to our ears. We jumped up—looked away to the northeast. Thank God! Captain Budington has sent us help. New life was ours. Kummitie and dogs, and two co-helpers, are fast approaching. I cannot express the thankful joyfulness of heart I felt, even in the still doubtful issue of our search. Still on and on, to the south, we followed John's tracks. As I knew Johnston would soon be overtaken, I quickened my steps, and soon left him far behind. I turned a few minutes after, and who hailed me? My noble friend the captain himself. Now I felt sure we should not return till the fate of the lost man should be determined. Captain B bid me make my way to the sledge, for he knew I must be very much fatigued. He required the Innuit Charley, the dog-driver, to take my place in tracking. It was a relief to me and Johnston that we received this assistance just as we did. "Captain B had set out a little past two, immediately on seeing the return of the major part of the company of five. He had visited Look-out Island, and with his 'spy' had watched our movements. He directed his course to the returning party; followed their tracks, on meeting them, to the place where we parted, thence followed ours—which, of course, were the circuitous, serpentine, and angular one of the lost—until, with his sharp eyes, he sighted us, when he struck a direct course. When Captain B overtook me it wanted five minutes to 5 o'clock. A few moments brought us to a recess in the coast near the point which, according to Johnston's promise, was to terminate his farther search with me.

"John's tracks showed that he had endeavoured to make land. I left the sledge, and, with Charley, followed them up,