"
"Yes," agreed Bobby enthusiastically, "let's do; and then let's do our
best to take care of ourselves, and help Him."
They sank on their knees in the snow, and each in silence offered his
own fervent prayer, while the wind drove the thick snow about them and
shrieked and moaned weirdly through the hummocks, and the distant
booming of the seas, and thunderous smashing of the ice on the outer
edge of the floe, fell upon their ears with solemn, ominous foreboding.
"Now I'm going to look again for hard snow," said Bobby, when they rose
presently. "You better keep close to the _komatik_, Jimmy, so we won't
lose it. I won't go far, and if I find snow that will cut I'll holler,
and if I lose the direction I'll holler, and then you answer."
And taking his snow knife Bobby was swallowed up by the swirling snow,
and Jimmy waited and waited, in dreadful loneliness and suspense, while
the minutes stretched out, and at last dusk began to steal upon his
stormswept world.
Many times Jimmy shouted, but no answering shout from Bobby came to him,
and now he shouted and listened, and shouted and listened, but only the
shrieking and moaning of the wind, and booming and thundering of
breaking seas and pounding ice gave answer.
A sickening dread came into Jimmy's heart as vainly he peered through
the gathering darkness into ever thickening snow clouds, and called and
shouted until he was hoarse.
He could not see the dogs now--he could hardly see the length of the
_komatik_.
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