They were still busily engaged arranging their new quarters when one
of the Eskimos called the attention of the others to a black object
far out upon the ice in the direction from which they had come. Slowly
it tottered towards them and in a little while it was made out to be
old Chealuk, who had been in hiding somewhere on the island. The poor
old woman, nearly starved and with frozen hands and feet, was barely
able to drag herself into camp. Some of the men protested against
receiving her but she was finally permitted to enter the igloos and
take up her old place, though with the understanding that she should
leave again immediately at the first indication of Torngak's
displeasure.
It was a great relief to Bob to know that she had not perished. The
old woman had only been able to keep from freezing to death, as he
learned, by hollowing out a place in a snow-bank in which to lie and
letting the snow drift thickly over her and remaining there until the
storm had spent itself.
"Sure I'm glad t' see she back again," thought Bob, and he voiced the
sentiment to Matuk.
"Atsuk"--I don't know--said the Eskimo with a shrug of the shoulders.
While, as we have seen, none of the Eskimos would take the place of
Akonuk and Matuk, they gave them sufficient seal meat and blubber for
a two weeks' journey, and early the next morning the march eastward
was resumed.
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