n an' see what we get." Not one of the little boys was old
enough to go, but the dogs Jim and Jack leaped up, wagging their tails
and fawning upon their master.

Tom had only part of a dog-team: when he or his neighbors made a long
trip they borrowed from one another. What one had, they all had.

As Tom stood looking at the dogs, he couldn't help thinking: "One of
those dogs would keep the family alive for a while. But I sure would
hate to kill one of the poor brutes. They've been the best friends we
ever had." His wife knew what he was thinking, though the dogs did
not.

Then he spoke. "Gimme a kiss, wifey." He smiled at her brightly.
"Cheer up. This little ole gun and me'll bring ye enough to eat for a
long time."

She kissed him, and off he trudged, the dogs leaping beside him and
trying to lick his mittened hands.

Away out yonder on the ice was a little black speck. He strained his
eyes to see.

"There's one!" he muttered. "Now, how to get up near enough. If the
dogs comes with me they'll sure scare it away--it'll go poppin' into
its old blow-hole afore I kin git it."

Jim and Jack were sitting on the bushy plumage of their tails, their
bright eyes fixed on their master, waiting for orders. They would
have loved it had he told them to chase that black speck far out at
sea. They would have gone on till they dropped, at his lightest word.

"No, boys, you wait here," he said. "You're goin' to help me haul it
back--when I get it. But gettin' it is somethin' I gotta do all by my
lonely. Now, you stay right here an' wait for me. Don't you dast to
come no nearer!" He shook his finger at them solemnly.

They seemed to understand. They curled up and lay down in the thin
powdery snow-blanket.

"Now then," muttered Tom, "I gotta creep an' creep an' crawl an' crawl
till I get near, an' then I gotta lie down an' scrape along on my
tummy same as if I was a seal myself. That's what I gotta do."

Suiting the action to the word, he started on, watching all the time
that little dark spot on which all depended.

He could imagine the children waiting at home and asking their mother
every little while: "When's Papa comin' back? Is he goin' to bring us
somepin' to eat?"

"I wonder if that there Grenfell man is ever goin' to git this far
north?" Tom asked himself as he crept toward the seal. "If us could
only git a chance to sell our fish for better'n two cents a pound,
after us gets 'em salted an' dried! Them traders, t