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.