But at last he, too, like Jimmy, fell asleep to the tune of the booming ice and howling wind, and, exhausted with his day's work, he slept long and heavily.
When Bobby awoke at last he perceived that it was twilight in his snow cavern, and, listening for the wind, discovered to his satisfaction that it had ceased to blow.
"Now I'll find Jimmy," said he, seizing his snow knife, "and see how he spent the night in the storm." He removed the snow block from the entrance and cut away the accumulated drift, and crawling out at once looked about him with astonished eyes.

On one side very near where he had been sleeping waves were breaking upon the ice, and far away beyond the waters lay the bleak and naked headland of Cape Harrigan.

In the east the sun was just rising, and the snow of the ice pack sparkled and glittered with wondrous beauty.
But Bobby saw only the open water, and the distant land, and nowhere Jimmy or the dogs.

A sickening dread came into his heart.

The water had eaten away the ice as he slept! That was the side upon which Jimmy must have been! Jimmy was gone! He had no doubt Jimmy's body was now floating somewhere in that stretch of black water! Then he ran out over the ice and among the hummocks, shouting: "Jimmy! Jimmy! Answer me, Jimmy, and tell me you're alive! Oh, Jimmy! Tell me you're alive!" But no Jimmy answered, and, overcome with grief, Bobby sat down upon the snow and threw his arms over his knees, and, pillowing his head in the crook of his elbow, wept.
"It's all my fault! It's all my fault!" he moaned.