It was with much regret that the boys bade good-bye to the policemen once more and started out on the back trail, Corporal Thalman snugly tucked in on the sledge.
Two days later, having traveled slow, for the comfort of their passenger, the boys reached the base of supplies. Sipsa and the other natives seemed overjoyed to see their young white friends again, and they held a feast in honor of the occasion, since hunting had been so good and they had more meat than they needed for the winter.
The day after the home-coming, Sandy was left to care for Corporal Thalman, while Dick and Toma returned to haul in the cache of musk-ox meat. They found the meat unmolested, and in fine condition, however, the signs in the snow about the cache showed that numerous foxes had made a vain effort to scratch away the stones and get at the meat.
A high wind was blowing upon their backs when Dick and Toma pulled in at the supply base with their precious load of meat. Two hours later the wind had risen to cyclonic velocity, sweeping tons and tons of snow through the air until the sun was blotted out and the igloos trembled to their strong foundations.
The storm was warning of winter and Dick and Sandy were much concerned over the safety of the policemen. Under warm shelter the men might weather the blizzard for days, provided they did not run out of food and fuel oil. If they did— Dick and Sandy shuddered to think of what such privations would mean for Corporal McCarthy and the Constable.
Three days the wind howled and shrieked and tore at the tiny knot of igloos under the high ridge, while the tormented sea roared and pounded on the beach, heaving great projectiles of ice far up on the land with deafening crashes.
The third day the wind laid, and several hours afterward, two half frozen men staggered into the camp. Dick had just looked out of an igloo upon the new world of white, when he saw the two figures.
“Sandy! A rifle quick!” cried Dick. “It’s two of Mistak’s men.”
But no weapon was needed. The men were about dead on their feet and were unarmed.
The foremost man gave a hoarse shout upon seeing Dick and flung up an arm to cover his eyes as if he had seen a ghost.