he last fluttering rag vanished from sight, our lads, who had
watched the latter part of this performance in silent wrath, turned to
each other and burst out laughing.

"It was a dirty, mean, low-down trick!" cried Cabot. "At the same time
he played it with a dexterity that compels my admiration. Now, what
shall we do?"

"I suppose one of us will have to swim ashore and get that boat."

"What, through ice water? You are right, though, and as I am the
biggest chump, I'll go."

Cabot was as good as his word, and did swim to the beach, though, as he
afterwards said, he did not know whether his first plunge was made into
ice water or molten lead. Then he and White followed the trail of
their recent guests to the crest of the bluffs, but could not discover
what direction they had taken from that point. So they returned to the
schooner sadder but wiser than before, and wondered whether they were
better or worse off on account of the recent visitation.

"If they carry news of us to one of the missions we will be better
off," argued Cabot.

"But, if they don't, we are worse off, by at least the value of our
stolen provisions," replied White.

CHAPTER XIX.

A MELANCHOLY SITUATION.

In Labrador, under ordinary circumstances, the loss of such a quantity
of provisions as Arsenic had carried away would have been a very
serious misfortune. But food was the one thing our lads had in
abundance, and they were more unhappy at having lost a guide, who might
have shown them a way out of their prison, than over the theft he had
so successfully accomplished.

"The next time we catch an Indian we'll tie a string to him," said
Cabot.

"Yes," agreed White, "and it will be a stout one, too; but I am afraid
there won't be any more Indians on the coast this season."

"How about Eskimo?"

"Some of them may come along later, when the snowshoeing and sledging
get good enough, for they are apt to travel pretty far south during the
winter. Still, there's no knowing how far back from the coast their
line of travel may lie at this point, and dozens of them might pass
without our knowledge."

"Couldn't we go up or down the coast as well as an Eskimo, whenever
these miserable waterways freeze over?" asked Cabot.

"Of course, if we had sledges, dogs, snowshoes, and fur clothing,"
replied White; "but without all these things we might just as well
commit suicide before starting."

"Well, I'll tell you what we can do right of