“Hurrah!”
Amid the excitement of a most momentous episode in the Arctic experience of the young castaways, this excited cry burst from their lips.
They forgot all the sorrows and perils of the past in the exhilarating delight of the hour.
Jack Marcy had made a long, narrow sled by reconstructing the old one brought from the ship and placing most of their stores on this, and, seating themselves one behind the other, they started on a wild journey over the ice.
They had crossed over the cliffs, and as the long whip in Jack’s hands cracked, the trained animals attached to the sled started on their journey.
By noon the sled had reached the opposite shores of the lake.
Jack allowed the dogs to take their own course, believing their natural sagacity would lead them right.
In this he was not in error. Towards evening the animals began to yell joyfully.
As they rounded a slight elevation in the ground the voyagers knew that they were near human habitation.
Beyond they could see several ice huts, and [four Esquimaux boys near at hand were engaged in playing a popular American game with bone clubs and a ball].