th some difficulty hauled them out upon the berg, where
Peter and Regnar hastened to skin them, and preserve such portions of
the meat as they required. The heads were also split to procure the
brains, and the large sinews extracted, after which the bodies were
consigned to the sea, and at once sank down until they were lost from
sight in the depths of the Gulf.

The three skins were then carefully stripped of blubber and membrane,
and Peter, taking the brains, mixed them with water into a soft paste,
which was spread over the inner side of each skin. Each was then folded
once, and then formed into a compact roll, tightly bound with the
sinews, after which the three skins were suspended at the top of the hut
above the stove, to await the softening action of the brain-paste.

CHAPTER XV.

A SAIL.--THE SEALING GROUNDS.--THE ESQUIMAUX LAMP.--AN INDIAN LEGEND.

About a hundred pounds of blubber lay upon the ice, and Carlo was
luxuriating on a whole hind quarter, which was given up to his especial
use, to make up for the rather short commons he had of late been reduced
to. About fifty birds lay behind the hummock, and Peter, who was anxious
to secure a bird-skin coverlet for his own use, set himself down to skin
the finest ones. Waring joined him in the task.

"There's the big berg where we killed ussuk yesterday. Less go and look
around. Perhaps we see land," said Regnar.

"No, Regnie; we are fifty miles from any land now, and I think about one
third of the way across to the Magdalen Islands. Still, I should like to
take an observation, and see where we are; and we may not have such a
calm spell again for two or three days."

Pulling off to the berg, they found the shelf on which lay the dead
seal, and climbing the ice-cliff, they saw spread out before them a
strange and pleasing spectacle. The fog had lifted, for it was now
nearly noon, and although some rain still fell, the eye could see the
broken ice-pack seamed with channels, and scarred with pools of varying
size, for at least eight miles in any direction. Regnar started, turned
to his companion, and seizing his shoulder with convulsive energy,
pointed to the east. A long ribbon of black vapor hung over the ice, low
down on the horizon, and beneath it towered the topsail of a brigantine,
going free before the wind.

[Illustration]

"It is a sealing steamer, boring out of the pack," said Regnar.

La Salle's first impulse was to rush to the boat, and