How I jumped! Down I went by the run, took the boat and pulled off for the shore, not even leaving time for the dogs to come with me.

Esquimaux, Red Indians, or trappers, it did not matter to me which. I wanted to see a man's face, and get away. So ashore I scrambled among the ice and through the sludge right inland over everything. I had taken my bearings for the spot, which was among a lot of scrubby fir and dwarf pine and bushes of that sort, that seemed to be the only things like trees in the whole country. I got confused among 'em; however, as the wind blew toward me, I was not long of coming right by smell. There had been a fire, and it was smouldering away among the ashes and moss. Whoever it

was,, they could hardly have been long gone. Among these bushes, and such, the snow was pretty hard, and I could see the trail of sledges and a lot of dogs leading away right up toward a great ice-stream that came out between the mountains to the coast, where it kept creep-creeping, as the poor doctor used to say. This was where small bergs used to keep breaking off like thunder, and working out to sea; but there were plenty of walruses, narwhals, and seals to be had at that season. Most likely them Indians or Esquimaux had been round the headland for weeks on end, camping and hunting, and now it was no use trying to follow 'em. I hadn't so much as a pistol with me to make a noise with; all I could do was to

blow up the fire, and pile on stuff, which made smoke enough. It never struck me at the time— what was as likely as not-that they might have knocked me on the head to get rid of me, and perhaps take my scalp after stripping the ship. Lots of lost whalers used to drop off in those days that fashion. Things are very different now, with the steamers and electric cables, and the newspapers and that.

They had been having a feast; and a dirty one it must have been, and eaten in haste. There was nothing for it but to make the best of my way back. I got a fright here. I struck into what I took to be my track, when lo and behold! after winding me round a long way, what did it do but lead me back upon the same nasty spot. The fire was dead out by that time. What I had been following was somebody else's track after all; and it sent a shiver through me, for I got stupid-like. Just as I had sat down to think, and clear my head, up came one of the dogs, and saved me. It was Tweed, as you may easily conceive. The other, as usual, had looked after number one.

With the dog by me, I got my clew again all right to get back aboard. On the way back was high ground, where we had used to hunt the foregoing summer. Towards the north it went up into high crags, rifted between with black holes; here and there the snow or the water hanging stiff out of them, like tongues, most savage-like to see,

It

and commencing to get slippery with the drip of the spring. There was a peak, however, which we used to call Prospect Point, where, betwixt the chart and our deck spy-glass, what we knew of the whereabouts had been mostly got. I hadn't the glass, nor the chart either; but as it was wonderfully clear, I thought best to see my way beforehand. I scrambled up, and took a good look. was about the northernmost part of Labrador where we were. All north was the ice-blink, twinkling with the breaking up towards Hudson's Straits and Davis' Straits. As far as I could see south'rd, there was fast ice along shore, trending far out, with bergs everywhere, both grounded and afloat. But eastward and south-eastward, where I had to make for, there was plenty of dark-water sky. The wind kept from the north; as to the latitude, I could hardly go wrong for awhile, making by the sun. There ain't much quadrant work needed for whalers, as long as you know the hour, with the sun skimming the horizon, as he does that time of year. Then by the moon's age I knew it was about spring-tide.

We lost no time about getting aboard. Glad enough we were, and so was the other dog to see us again, apparently. I took it out of him in work. I would have made the trial the very next morning, only it was a Friday. No seaman likes to take a departure then, more especially when it's any way risky. The ordinary way used to be to wait

for Sunday; but this I was not inclined for on any account. Saturday being the time I had begun to come all right, I somehow always considered it lucky for me afterwards, and can't say I ever found it come wrong. So I made up my mind it was then or never.

One thing I had forgotten, which was of no small consequence, namely, that I should have to stick by the wheel in all weathers. Accordingly, I used the time in knocking up an off-hand wheelhouse with some of the carpenter's deals and the help of an old stunsa'l. Here I could keep myself warm, get my coffee and what not within reach. I shifted up the steward's small stove, slipped on the funnel through the roof, had my bear's skin to turn into; and as to wraps, I had a whole suit of the seal-skin I had tailored at before. The last afternoon, when just knocked off work, a trifle happened that I never thought would have mattered either way in the upshot. But it did, though. It's wonderful, young gentlemen, and misses too, what will come out of trifles at a time.

Different birds had commenced to lodge about the island, some of 'em, as I thought, from the south'ard. They appeared to be nesting, and looking out for anything like grubs. The old crang of a seal came floating round into the cove; most likely one I had shot and lost. What the fish had left the birds tried to get: there were dovekies and Mollies at it, and every now and then

some of the other birds out of the bushes near the doctor's grave would come glancing down and away again, like terns, too quick for the Mollies to hunt. There were brownish-speckled ones amongst them, something between a thrush and a starling, that seemed to annoy the Mollies most of all, a-imitating of 'em. All at once I heard a loud squack, and one of the bush birds dropped on the water with its wing broken. At slack tide there was a current toward the ship off the little stream in the cove, always getting the stronger as the ice and snow melted atop of the island. It was a Mollie that had struck the bird, and this brought it afloat outwards past the ship. I wouldn't have grudged pulling off in the boat to save it, if there had been any chance, but here Tweed was afore me, for she sprung overboard and caught it gently. I slung myself down alongside, got it all right out of her mouth, leaving the dog to come aboard from the boat under the counter, as she knew how. Do what I could, there was no curing the wing; but I put the bird in a cage beside me, and found it would eat the weevils out of the ship's biscuits readily enough; in fact, afterwards there was no fear of its leaving, and its favourite spot was the bread-room aft, where the weevils soon had a sad time of it. But more of that anon.

One thing I had done some days before, after seeing my way to make a start of it, though I had