The Internet Detective Library — page 218: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

206 KOTUK’S PERIL. ‘"No can tell, Maybe they can’t, and anyhow we must, be together.. No safe for anybody if we all lost.” Stokes could see himself that it was better for the party to keep together, and accordingly he helped Kotuk willingly in get- ting the sled and dogs ready to move on __—/ They went cautiously before the wind, frequently shouting and occasionally firing in order to warn their companions of their whereabouts. After the first report that they had heard as an answer to Stokes’ shot, no sound came to them of the missing Esquimaux. For an hour or two they toiled blindly on in the darkness, which was growing denser as the real night approached. At last Kotuk brought the dogs to a halt. ‘*Lost!’? he said, disconsolately. ‘‘That’s what we are,’’ Stokes responded. ‘‘And it’s worse now than if we had stayed at the camp. Not only have we got away from the others, but we have nothing to shelter us.’’ Kotuk stood still a minute thinking the situation over. ‘‘Must keep moving,’’ he remarked at length, and on they went. i What with the falling snow and the growing darkness, it soon became impossible to see where they were stepping. i They knew only that they were in the snow. . The dogs toiled t! along beside them, but it required both Stokes and Kotuk haul- ing at the sled to keep that with them. n ‘This does look as if it were all up with me,’’ said Stokes to ‘ himself, ‘‘but I would just like to know how Ole is getting along.’’ t This thought had hardly occurred to him before Kotuk fell down. Stokes reached ou to help him and went down too, But t that wasn’t the worst of it—they kept on going down. ; It was somewhat like the slide with which they landed in Yed- vik, but they were not on the sled now. It was with them and Stokes grabbed it by the side with one hand while with the other he caught Kotuk by the shoulder; the dogs came tumbling along with them. The snow was several inches deep, but the incline on which they started to slide was so steep that they plowed along down it as rapidly, apparently, as if it were uncovered ice. Faster and faster they shot down. The dogs were yelping furi- ously and making frantic efforts to break away; the harness held them, however, so that they remained sliding in a confused heap. ‘‘There’ll be trouble for anything that gets in our way,’’ thought Stokes with grim humor. ‘‘And it’s lucky for us there are no hummocks here.’’ RON : 3 fi After what seemed to be miles of this kind. of struggling. thelr ~ com 1 @) ‘ eee ‘books:¢€om: