“It’s no use,” said Jack at last, with an anxious look at the ice plain. “The break-up will overtake us in a few moments.”
“Shall we abandon the sled?” asked Hugo.
“Yes; but not the things on it. We may need them yet.”
A large tarpaulin covered the sled, and they gathered it and its contents up.
Among them was an axe.
Seizing this, Jack began cutting steps in the icy wall, and then, by means of these, they gained the upper ice.
The sled was borne upwards and crushed to pieces a few minutes later.
They had escaped certain death, and just in time.
Each seizing an end of the tarpaulin, they started inland, seeking for the boys everywhere.
Jack was terribly anxious when darkness came down.