When Skipper Ed had finished the building, he cut a circular place through the side, close down to the bottom, and just large enough to permit him to crawl out.  Now with a snowshoe he shoveled the loose snow out of the opening, and leveled the floor within.

Bobby and Jimmy in the meantime busied themselves unlashing the loads upon the sledges and unharnessing the dogs.  When this was done Bobby with an ax chopped frozen seal meat into pieces for the dogs’ supper, while Jimmy with the long whip kept the hungry dogs at a distance, for with the unharnessing, and preparation of their supper, they collected into bunches, and sitting on their haunches, growled and snapped at one another, each fearful that his neighbor should gain an advantage, and all the time emitted dismal, whistling whines of impatience.

Presently Bobby stepped aside, Jimmy withdrew the menace of the whip, and in an instant the hungry beasts were upon their food, gulping it down as fast as they could pick it up, a snarling, snapping, yelping mass, and there was a fight or two that the boys were called upon to mediate by beating the animals apart.

By the time the feeding was over Skipper Ed had carried the harness into the igloo and spread it evenly on the floor—­for the dogs would have eaten their own harness if it had been left to them—­and over the harness he laid caribou skins, and then carried in the sleeping bags and provisions.  Nothing, indeed, was left outside, for nothing would have been safe from the ravenous beasts.  And when the dogs were fed and all was made snug and safe the three crawled within, and closed the entrance to the igloo with a big block of snow previously provided for the purpose.

They had brought with them two of Abel’s old stone lamps.  These were simply blocks of stone cut in the shape of a half moon, and hollowed out, to hold seal oil.

The lamps were now placed upon snow shelves, one on either side of the igloo, and the oil from a piece of blubber squeezed into them.  Pieces of rags carefully placed along the straight side of the lamps served as wicks.  These were lighted and burned with a smoky, yellow flame.

When the wicks were burning well a snow knife was stuck into the wall of the snow house over each lamp, and upon these knives kettles were suspended and filled with snow taken from the wall of the igloo.  One of the kettles was removed when the snow was melted, and set aside for drinking water.  The other was permitted to boil, tea was made, and then the fire was put out, for already the temperature inside the igloo had become so warm that presently there would be danger of the snow dripping moisture.

“Now,” said Skipper Ed, lighting a candle, for it was growing dark, “we’re ready for supper.  You chaps must be hungry.”

“I could eat my boots!” declared Bobby.

“So could I!” exclaimed Jimmy, as he poured hot tea into Skipper Ed’s and Bobby’s cups and then helped himself.  “I was glad enough when we decided to stop here.”