The loss which the Eskimos sustained in the destruction of the ship was
in one sense considerable, for the woodwork about her would have been of
immense value to them; nevertheless their gains in what had already been
stored were very great, so that they were able to regard their losses
with philosophic composure.
The weeks that followed--weeks of ever increasing light and warmth--were
spent in examining and sorting their material into packages suitable for
transport on sledges to their summer quarters at Waruskeek.
And here again the knowledge possessed by Nazinred of the habits and
implements of the white men was of great service. Adolay also helped to
instruct, for when among the sail-maker's tools they found a number of
the finer sort of needles and threads, as well as a few feminine
thimbles, so to speak, she was able to show the women at once how to use
them, and thus saved them from the trouble of puzzling out the matter
for themselves.
"What is this?" asked Anteek of Nazinred one day, presenting a file
which he had just picked up.
"That is a thing," replied the Indian, who, being ignorant of the names
of most tools, got over the difficulty by calling all objects
"things"--"that is a thing made for cutting iron with; rubbing it down
and cutting it short. It cuts things that are too hard for a knife."
"I think," returned the boy, regarding it attentively, "we might try it
on Aglootook's nose. That wants cutting short, and rubbing down too,
for it seems very hard to look at it."
Nazinred did not smile. He was slow to understand a joke. Perhaps he
thought it a poor one, but Cheenbuk appreciated it, and met it with the
suggestion that an axe might be more effective.
They were gravely debating this point in front of the snow stores, when
Ondikik came up and asked when it was likely that a start would be made
for home, as he styled their old winter village.
"Go and ask Mangivik. When he gives the order I'm ready," said
Cheenbuk.
"Don't say a word to Aglootook," said Anteek, as the young man turned to
go; "he will be sure to say that _something_ will happen if you do."
"Yes, and as something always does happen," remarked Cheenbuk, "he's
sure to be right, the moosquat."
"Moo-squat" seemed to be used as a term of extreme contempt; it may not
therefore be incorrect to translate it--"humbug!"
On being consulted, old Mangivik, who was generally credited with being
weather-wise and intelligent, gave it as his opinion that, as the things
from the white man's kayak were all ready packed on the sledges, and the
weather was very warm, and the days were growing long, and the ice and
snow were melting fast, the sooner they set out the better.
Aglootook coincided with that opinion, because he had been led to the
same conclusion some days before, chiefly in consequence of profound
thought during the dark hours of night. "And if we don't start off
now," he added at the end of a portentous oration, "no one can tell what
will happen--something fearful, I know, though of course it is not
possible to say what."
As no one felt disposed to object, the preparations were hurried
forward, and, soon after, the whole tribe went off on the return
journey, leaving behind them a black and yawning gulf in the Arctic
solitude where so lately a noble ship had been.
Arrived at the old village, these lively and energetic nomads occupied
themselves during the brief remainder of winter and the early spring in
securely hiding the goods of which they had become possessed, excepting
such light portions as they meant to carry along with them to their
summer retreat. Among these were a number of bows, spears, and arrows
made from the wood of the burnt vessel, with cleverly adapted iron
heads, filed to fine sharp points, and burnished until they glittered in
the light. Of knives and axes there were also sufficient to equip most
of the young men, and those, for whom there were none, made to
themselves pretty good knives out of pieces of hoop-iron.
When at last the ocean currents and summer heat broke up the solid floes
and set the icebergs free to resume their majestic southward course, our
Eskimos put their sledges _en cache_, got out kayaks and oomiaks, and,
wielding both the short and the long paddle, started off towards the
southwest, in the direction of Waruskeek--some of the tribe, however,
with a few of the old people, remaining behind.
"Now, Adolay, we are going to take you home," said Cheenbuk, the day
they started, while walking with her towards the oomiak in which she was
to take her seat and a paddle. "Will the Indian girl be glad to leave
us?"
The faintest possible tinge of red suffused her cheek, as she dropped
her eyes and replied--
"She will be glad to get home."
"When you have got home, and stayed for a time with your people,"
returned Cheenbuk, who was usually blunt and to-the-point in his
conversation, "will you come away with me and be my woman--my squaw?" he
added, accommodating his words to the Indian vocabulary.
"I cannot leave my mother," answered the maiden in a low voice.
"That is good," returned the gallant Eskimo, "but Cheenbuk can leave
_his_ mother and his father too. If I go and live with the
men-of-the-woods, will you be my squaw?"
Adolay with downcast eyes gave no answer.
It is said that silence gives consent. We are ignorant as to Arctic
opinion on this point, but before light could be thrown on the subject,
Anteek came rushing round the corner of a stranded berg with the
exclamation--
"Hoi! Cheenbuk--here you are! We thought you must have got into the
teeth of a walrus or the arms of a bear!"
Cheenbuk frowned savagely, caught Anteek by his nether garments and the
nape of his neck, and, lifting him high above his head, seemed about to
dash him on the ground. But, instead, he replaced him gently on his
feet, and, with a benignant smile, told him to run down to the shore and
put his kayak in the water so as to be ready for him.
Anteek, who was obedience personified, hastened away at once, rubbing
his nether garments, and sorely perplexed as to the strange spirit which
seemed so suddenly to have taken possession of the friend he so ardently
idolised.
It was arranged that Nazinred, being unaccustomed to the Eskimo kayak,
should voyage with the women in one of the oomiaks. To a younger brave
this might have been regarded as an undignified position, but to a man
of his years and tried experience it was only a subject for a passing
smile. But the Indian did not accept the position of an idle passenger.
Although inexpert in the use of the two-bladed paddle and the light
kayak, he was thoroughly capable of using the women's paddle with the
single blade, as it bore much resemblance in shape and size to that used
in his native canoe. He therefore quietly assumed the post of steersman
in the oomiak, which contained Madam Mangivik, Nootka, the easy-going
Cowlik, the gentle Rinka, Adolay, and a variety of children and babies.
The young man Oolalik, in defiance of immemorial custom, also took a
seat and a paddle in that oomiak--out of pure hospitality of course, and
for the sole purpose of keeping their guest company. Nootka said
nothing, but she seemed amused as well as pleased at the innovation. So
were the children, for Oolalik was a prime favourite with young as well
as old.
Old Uleeta was the captain of another of the oomiaks, and it was
observed that Aglootook cast longing and frequent glances in her
direction, believing, no doubt, that a place by her side would be an
easier berth than in his own kayak, with nothing but the strength of his
own lazy arm to urge it on; but as there was no guest in this case to
justify the breach of ancient custom on the ground of hospitality, he
felt that manhood required him to stay where he was.
It was a pretty sight the starting of the little flotilla on a brilliant
spring morning, with the sea as calm as a millpond, fantastic masses of
white ice floating about in all directions, and mountainous bergs here
and there giving dignity as well as variety, by their size and
light-green sides and deep blue caverns, to a scene which might
otherwise have been too suggestive of wedding-cake.
Seals, walruses, sea-birds, and numerous denizens of the deep and air,
were sporting about in fearless indifference to the presence of their
great enemy, man, but these were unheeded until hunger began to affect
the Eskimo. Then the war began, with its usual result--"the survival of
the fittest."
One day, however, there was a battle in which it came about that the
tables were almost turned, and the survival, as regards the animals,
very nearly reversed.
It happened thus.
We have already referred to the ferocity of the walrus when attacked.
As a rule, man is the assailant. Sometimes, however, the monster of the
Arctic deep assumes the offensive. On the occasion we are about to
describe the attack was made in force.
The day had been brilliantly fine. The bergs had absolutely duplicated
and inverted themselves by reflection, so that the sunlit pinnacles
became submarine fires, and refraction stepped in to reverse, and as it
were shatter, the floes on the horizon, while three mock suns glowed in
the heavens at the same time--thus making the beautiful confusion still
more exquisitely confounded.
"Walrus!" said Cheenbuk, pointing with the end of his long paddle in the
direction of a large berg just ahead of them.
Nazinred, who was close alongside of him, ceased to paddle, and shaded
his eyes with his hand. So did his crew. The whole flotilla ceased to
paddle, and skimmed slowly along for some moments in dead silence.
Then Aglootook, in virtue of his office and presumption, spoke in a low
voice--
"Let us pull softly, and speak not at all. There are plenty of beasts.
Wonders shall be done to-day if you attend to what I say."
They all acted on his advice, whether they heard it or not, for Eskimos
need no caution to be wary and silent when approaching a herd of
walruses.
There appeared to be at least a hundred animals lying sunning themselves
on the various ice-lumps into which the floes were broken up. On one
mass about half a mile off there were some twenty rolling about and
grunting comfortably to each other. Towards these the flotilla slowly
drifted, for the dipping of the paddles could scarcely be seen, and was
quite noiseless. By slow degrees they drew near, and then the oomiaks
hung back, with the exception of that steered by Nazinred, who had got
his fire-spouter ready, while Oolalik stood in the bow, harpoon in hand,
and lance ready by his side. The women were not expected to take part
in the action--only to look on,--but all the men in kayaks advanced.
While these last went on towards the main herd, our Indian steered
straight for the ice-cake on which the largest number lay, and as they
drew near, the extreme ugliness of the creatures' faces and black heads
became very apparent.
There was an old bull with tusks not far short of three feet long among
the herd. Beside him was a young bull, which seemed from his wicked
expression to be screwing up his courage to assault the old one. The
rest were females and young ones of various ages, down to what seemed
the very last walrus baby. Those that were grown up had bristling
moustaches like porcupine-quills on their flat lips, and the young ones
had tusks in different degrees of development--except the baby, whose
head resembled an ill-shaped football.
They did not seem in the least afraid of the approaching oomiak.
Perhaps they thought it a very dirty piece of ice covered with rather
grotesque seals. At all events, although they looked at it, they went
on with their mooing and rolling about, quite regardless of it, until
Oolalik sent his harpoon deep into the side of one of the cows. Then
indeed there was tremendous roaring and confusion, as the whole herd
tumbled off the ice raft into the sea. The splash sent a cataract of
spray over the Eskimos; and no wonder, for the old bull was full sixteen
feet long, with barrel-bulk equal to a hogshead. Some of the others
were not much smaller.
The harpoon thrown was attached to a short line, to the end of which an
inflated seal-skin was fastened for the purpose of forming a drag on the
animal harpooned, and, by coming to the surface, showing its
whereabouts. But on this occasion the creatures required no such
contrivance to bring them up, for no sooner were the two bulls in their
native element than they uttered a horrible succession of roars, and
made straight for the oomiak. A rip in the side of the skin boat would
have been fatal, or, if one of the animals were to hook on to it with
his tusks, an upset would be certain. Oolalik therefore grasped his
long lance, while Nazinred steered so as to keep the bow end-on to the
assailants. Another moment and Oolalik dealt the oldest bull a thrust
in the neck that sent it back roaring. The cry seemed to be a summons,
for answering cries were heard all round, and the walruses were seen to
be converging towards their savage old chief. Meanwhile the young bull
had reached the right side of the oomiak, where Cowlik sat with an
easy-going look on her placid face, admiring the scene.
Nazinred was so intent on keeping the craft right that he failed to
notice it until its ugly head and ponderous tusks rose above the
gunwale. But Cowlik proved equal to the occasion. The easy-going look
vanished, and the end of her paddle went into the throat of the brute
with a thrust so vigorous that the boat was driven to one side and the
tusks missed their mark. At the same moment Adolay, who sat close to
her, grasped her paddle like a double-handed sword, and brought it down
with surprising force on the creature's left eye. A shot from the
fire-spouter followed; the ball entered the same eye, reached the brain,
and the young bull sank to rise no more.
The Indian reloaded as fast as he could, but not in time for another
charge from the old bull, which Oolalik met with a stab in the side that
again turned him off bellowing. A still younger bull, anxious,
perchance, to win its spurs, took advantage of the situation, and made a
dash at the opposite side, but Nootka sent about two feet of her paddle
down its throat, which induced it to reconsider its intentions.
Just then a loud report told that the spouter was again to the front.
This time the ball took effect on the old bull's forehead, and remained
there. It neither killed nor stunned, though it probably surprised it,
for it sheered off permanently, and all the rest of the herd went away
to sea along with it.
After this unexpected and dangerous encounter was over, it was found
that several other animals were splashing about in a dying state, or
fast to seal-skin buoys which the men in the kayaks had managed to affix
to them. One of these was closely followed up by Anteek, who had very
cleverly launched his harpoon.
Aglootook was also seen to be struggling with a buoy, which he was
trying to haul in.
"Keep off!" he cried in great excitement when old Mangivik paddled to
his assistance; "I have lanced it twice. I need no help. See, the
water is full of blood!"
"That is my beast you are fighting," remarked Oolalik, as the oomiak
came up. "Look at the float: it is mine."
The magician looked crestfallen. He had hoped, probably, to kill the
wounded animal, secure it to his kayak, and cast loose the buoy, so that
no one could claim it. He made the most of the situation, however, by
asserting stoutly that if he had not lanced it well it would certainly
have broken loose from the buoy.
When the whole party was assembled on a large floe, cutting up and
stowing away the meat, some of the younger men began to comment on the
success of the hunt, and to congratulate themselves on the large supply
of fresh provisions which they had secured.
"Did I not tell you," said Aglootook, who appeared to be superintending
the workers, "that wonders would be done to-day?"
"You did," replied Cheenbuk gravely, "and one of the greatest wonders
was that you managed to lance a walrus!"
"It was indeed a great wonder," returned the magician, with a smile of
supreme satisfaction, "for I was not hunting at all at the time--only
looking on by way of encouraging the young men. It just came in my way
and I killed it, easily, in passing. If I had been really hunting, then
indeed," he added, with solemn emphasis, "you would have seen something
to astonish you."
"I have no doubt of that!" remarked Cheenbuk. At the same moment Anteek
went off into an explosion of laughter, which he accounted for by
pointing at a baby-walrus which had just put its head out of the water
with an expression of surprise on its innocent face that clearly
indicated its inability to understand what was going on.