ed on
carrying out the great bear skull, which he found quite heavy enough
before the end of the journey.

When at last they left the mountains and crossed the tundra to the
deserted village near which they had left their dory moored, they saw
that a change had come over the weather. In the north a black cloud was
rising, and the surface of the bay, although little broken by waves so
far as they could see, had a steely and ominous look.

"Maybe so rain bime-by," said Skookie.

Rob studied the bay and the sky for some time. "What do you say, boys?"
he asked. "Shall we try to make it across to-night? I don't like the
look of things out there, and you know it's a long pull."

"Well," said John, "I'm for starting across. There's no place to stop
here, and I don't like this place any more than Skookie does, anyhow."

Jesse agreed that they might probably better try to make their home
camp, as their supplies were low, and since, if stormy weather came, it
might be a long time before they could cross the bay.

"All right, then," said Rob; "but we've got to hurry."

Skookie also was plainly nervous. They rushed the dory from its
moorings, and all taking oars and paddles, gave way strongly as they
could. At that time there were no waves of consequence, only a long,
slow motion like the pulse of the sea which came down from the outer
mouth of great Kaludiak Bay. The wind had not yet risen, although
steadily the twilight seemed to thicken.

For three-quarters of an hour they made good progress. Then they noticed
that their boat began to pitch a little, and small, choppy waves raced
by. A strong slant of wind was coming down from another valley farther
toward the mouth of the bay, opposite which they passed, when they left
at one side the long spit of land which had served as shelter to their
part of the inner bay.

Evidently the wind was freshening. A fine spindrift settled on the
farther side of the bay, so that at times their own shore was cut out
from view for many moments. Night, too, was now coming. Without a word
the boys bent to their oars, thoroughly alarmed. Rob and Skookie were
perhaps the calmest of the four, and Rob undertook to do what he could
to encourage his companions.

"One thing you want to remember, boys," said he, "and that is that one
of these dories will stand almost as much sea as a ship, if you handle
her right. We'll keep her quartering into the waves, and will keep on
rowing all night if we h