nches.

Next day we visited, and I rested considerably, finding again how good
it was to be in a safe and quiet place with no fear of stone throwers or
giant powder.

About half-past ten o'clock in the evening, just after the sun had set,
we started on our return trip, Mollie having arrived with her dog-teams
and natives. The sunset sky was exceedingly beautiful, but beneath our
feet we had only very bad ice and water. Near the island great ice cakes
were floating, interspersed with dark seams and lanes wider than we had
before seen. Sometimes I rode on one of the sleds or walked, ran or
leaped over the water holes to keep up with the rest until too tired and
heated, when I threw myself upon a sled again; but as we proceeded we
found firmer ice and less water. Mollie and I had both to ride upon one
sled now, for Ituk had lashed the kyak upon the little one, and they
were one dog short, as an animal had run away while they were eating
supper at the Home. Finally, pitying the dogs upon the large sled, who
seemed to have a heavy load (although only one seal, as they had met
with little success in hunting), I motioned to Ituk to wait for me,
which he did.

"Ituk," I called, as I came nearer, "let me ride in the kyak, will you?"

"You ride in kyak?" asked the man in surprise.

"Yes, let me get in, I will hold on tight," and, as he made no
objection, I climbed upon the boat, crept into the hole made for that
purpose and sat down.

"All right, Ituk; I am ready," I said.

The man laughed, cracked his whip, and the dogs started.

I had not before realized that I would be sitting so high up, and that
at each dip in a crack or depression of the ice, when the sled runner
ran a little higher than the other, I should stand a grand chance of
being spilled into the water, but my feet were so cold in my rubber
boots that I was thinking to get them under cover would be agreeable,
and though Ituk probably well knew what the outcome of my ride would be,
he very patiently agreed to allow me to try it.

We had not gone far when our dogs made a sudden dash or turn, the
right-hand runner slipped lengthwise into a seam, and over we went,
sled, kyak, woman and all upon the ice in a sorry heap. The dogs halted
instantly, and Ituk, who had been running on the left-hand side of them,
came back at my call.

"O, Ituk, come here and help me! I cannot get out of the kyak," I cried
lustily. "I will not get into it again," and I rubbed my wri