The umiak had made port, where, they knew not; it was enough that it was
a haven of refuge. The boat glided gently up to a shelving beach and
touched. Harry attempted to spring out, and fell sprawling to the earth,
which he embraced, partly because he was so glad to see it, but mainly
because his legs were so cramped and numb that he could not use them.
When he scrambled to his feet, he found Joe limping painfully out, much
like an old man, so great had been the strain of his vigil, so cold the
water that had deluged him. They set up the tent in a sheltered nook, and
Harry made a fire from driftwood, which was plentiful. He had matches in
a waterproof safe in his pocket, else their plight had been worse, for
everything in the boat was wet through and had been for hours. They made
a meal of what they had, the last of their caribou meat and some dried
fish, put great driftwood logs on the fire in front of their tent door,
turned in beneath the canvas in its grateful warmth, and slept for hours
and hours, utterly exhausted.
The storm continued for two days more, in which they did little except
keep warm and pile driftwood on their fire, drying out their supplies as
best they might. These were in sad shape. The flour was nearly spoiled,
the sugar and salt melted and mixed, and the bulk of their matches
soaked. These last they dried with much care, and made some of them
serviceable again, but the most of their provisions were practically
ruined.
When the storm broke, they climbed the hills behind them and looked
about. Then their wonder was great. The umiak had been driven to the
one harbor on that rocky shore, the one spot for miles to the east or
west where they could land in safety. Had they come to the land a dozen
furlongs either side of it, the surf must inevitably have overturned
their frail boat and drowned them in the undertow. The discovery chilled
them at first,—death had been so very near, so seemingly inevitable.
Then it heartened them greatly. They felt that the watchful care of
Providence was over them still, and that its aid was ever present,
however great the unknown dangers about them.
Descending the hills again, they took their rifles and began to explore
the little inlet, following it back into the hills, and keeping a sharp
outlook for game, which they sadly needed. They found nothing but a
snow-bunting or two, too small to shoot except in extremity, and a sort
of gray Arctic hawk, which promised to be but poor eating. Probably there
would be ptarmigans back farther, but they did not see any. At the head
of the inlet they found a brawling stream which descended from the hills
over mica-schist ledges and along sands that sparkled with yellow mica.
Harry sighted this mica as he stooped to drink from the stream, and
scooped up a handful of it with eagerness. He called to Joe, and both
examined it closely, but it was plainly mica.
“What did you expect it was?” asked Joe.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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