re had been a break in the ice at this point on the
previous night, and the floes had been cemented by a sheet of ice only
an inch thick. Upon this, to the consternation even of Meetuck himself,
they now passed, and in a moment, ere they were aware, they were passing
over a smooth, black surface that undulated beneath them like the waves
of the sea, and crackled fearfully. There was nothing for it but to go
on. A moment's halt would have allowed the sledge to break through, and
leave them struggling in the water. There was no time for remark. Each
man held his breath. Meetuck sent the heavy lash with a tremendous crack
over the backs of the whole team; but just as they neared the solid floe
the left runner broke through. In a moment the men flung themselves
horizontally upon their breasts, and scrambled over the smooth surface
until they gained the white ice, while the sledge and the dogs nearest
to it were sinking. One vigorous pull, however, by dogs and men
together, dragged the sledge upon the solid floe, even before the things
in it had got wet.

"Safe!" cried Fred, as he hauled on the sledge rope to drag it farther
out of danger.

"So we are," replied O'Riley, breathing very hard; "and it's meself
thought to have had a wet skin at this minute.--Come, West, lind a hand
to fix the dogs, will ye?"

A few minutes sufficed to put all to rights and enable them to start
afresh. Being now in the neighbourhood of dangerous ice, they advanced
with a little more caution; the possibility of seals being in the
neighbourhood also rendered them more circumspect. It was well that they
were on the alert, for a band of seals were soon after descried in a
pool of open water not far ahead, and one of them was lying on the ice.

There were no hummocks, however, in the neighbourhood to enable them to
approach unseen; but the Esquimau was prepared for such a contingency.
He had brought a small sledge, of about two feet in length by a foot and
a half in breadth, which he now unfastened from the large sledge, and
proceeded quietly to arrange it, to the surprise of his companions, who
had not the least idea what he was about to do, and watched his
proceedings with much interest.

"Is it to sail on the ice ye're goin', boy?" inquired O'Riley at last,
when he saw Meetuck fix a couple of poles, about four feet long, into a
hole in the little sledge, like two masts, and upon these spread a piece
of canvas upwards of a yard square, with a s