It was at this time that the skipper suggested to the mate one evening,
"Jack, les go caribou huntin' t'-morrer. I'm gettin' stiff hangin' 'round here."
"All right, sir," acquiesced the mate, "but," he asked, "th' crew's all away exceptin' th' cook, an' who'll look after things here if we both goes t' once?"
"We kin leave the cook alone fer one day I guess. If any o' th' livyeres come he kin keep 'em till we comes back in th' evenin'."
The arrangements were therefore made for the hunt, and the following morning bright and early they were off.
At sunrise there was a slight westerly breeze blowing, and the skipper suggested,
"Th' wind might stiffen up a bit an' we better keep an eye to it."
They were well back in the hills before the predicted stiffening came to such an extent that they decided it was wise to return to the shack.
Skipper Sam and his mate were not accustomed to land travelling and the hurried retreat soon winded them and they were held down to so slow a walk that the afternoon was half spent and the wind had grown to a gale when they finally came in view of the harbour. Skipper Sam was ahead, and when he looked towards the place where the Maid of the North had been snugly held in the ice in the morning he rubbed his eyes. Then he looked again, and exclaimed:
"By gum!"