At Etah a large quantity of meat was purchased from the Esquimaux, who had been awaiting Mr. Dawson's arrival for over a month. They had been out hunting bears, musk oxen, walrus, seals, and other game for him, and they had likewise collected for him over a hundred of the best Esquimaux dogs to be found. With the dogs they brought six sledges, that were light but strong. "My, but those Esquimaux do smell!" was Andy's comment when ten of them came on board and took quarters in the forward part of the ship. "They smell worse than a fish market!" The dogs were penned up, and made the air hideous with their barking and snarling. All the supplies were taken on board, and then the _Ice King_ steamed away from Etah on her voyage into the great Unknown. "It's good-by now to everything, civilized and uncivilized," said Barwell Dawson. "From now on we have got to trust to luck as to what comes." It was the explorer's plan to push as far as the ice would let him into Smith's Sound. Then, when the _Ice King_ could sail no further, they would disembark and prepare for the coming winter--the terrible Long Night. Now it was summer, and daylight at all hours of the twenty-four. A good deal of floating ice was encountered within six hours after leaving Etah, and after that the thumping and grinding on the sides was kept up night and day. Although the vessel had full steam up, the engines were run slowly, as too hard a crash might result disastrously. Occasionally they could make out the shore line, but usually low icebergs shut the land from sight. "I don't think we can go much further," remarked Andy, on the third day out from Etah. "The ice seems to be closing in all around us." Nevertheless, the next day they struck a wide "lead," and ran through this for miles. But then the ice became thicker than ever, and Captain Williamson shook his head gravely. "Not much further, Mr. Dawson," he said. "I think we had best make for the shore yonder," and he pointed with his gloved hand. "As you think best, Captain," was the explorer's reply. "We have now come about as far as I thought we could go." The boys watched the working of the vessel until late that night. When they awoke in the morning, they found that the engines had stopped. They dressed and ran on deck. "Well, I never!" cried Andy. "We are high and dry now, and no mistake!" All around them were immense fields of ice and snow. The _Ice King_ had slid up on the ice, and the big, transparent blocks held her as if in a vise. Not far away was an iceberg that looked like a small mountain. "This is as far as the ship will go," said Professor Jeffer to the lads. "The rest of our journey will be made by walking, or on the dog sledges."