uck
with a spear in the shoulder by the chief, when he limped off uttering
piercing yells.

"What do you think they mean to do with us, Luka?" Godfrey asked. "Will
they hand us over to the Russians, do you think? Cowardly blackguards. I
wish now we had fought at first."

"No, won't hand us to Russians; too far off. They don't think of that;
they have taken us for the sake of our hatchets and knives and of your
gun. Perhaps they will keep us to work for them. Perhaps they will cut
our throats."

"It is not a pleasant look-out either way. Still, if they keep us, we
are safe to get away before long; we must hope for the best. I wonder
they haven't taken my ammunition and the other things."

"Not know about pockets," Luka said. "They would have taken them if they
had."

Two or three hours later the Samoyedes came in and carefully examined
the captives' lashings. Their hands were tied behind them with reindeer
thongs, which were so tightly bound that they almost cut into the skin,
and their feet were equally firmly lashed. In a few minutes the sound of
talk ceased and the camp became quiet.

"I suppose it is their bedtime," Godfrey said. "If the fools do not set
a guard over us we shall soon be free."

"How is that?" Luka asked.

"We will gnaw through one of the thongs, of course, there can be no
difficulty about that; we will give them an hour to get to sleep and
then we will set to work. What is that? Ah, Jack, is it you?" as the dog
crept in between them with low whines. "Poor old chap, you did your
best. I can't pat you now. Roll yourself to the door and look out,
Luka."

"There are three of them sitting by a fire, but it will be darker
presently and they will not see us"--for although it could scarcely be
called night the sun now dipped for an hour or two below the horizon at
midnight.

"Well, see or not see, we will go, Luka. If we are to be killed it shall
be making a fight for it, and not having our throats cut like sheep.
Now, I think you are more accustomed to chewing tough food than I am, so
I will roll over on my face, and do you set to work and bite through the
thong."

Luka's sharp teeth cut through the twisted hide in five minutes. It was
a quarter of an hour more before Godfrey's hands recovered their usual
feeling. As soon as they were efficient he unfastened the thongs round
his companion's wrists and those round their feet.

"Now then, Luka, put your head out and see if you can see my gun.