“Hurrah!”
Amid the excitement of a most momentous episode in the Arctic
experience of the young castaways, this excited cry burst from their
lips.
They forgot all the sorrows and perils of the past in the exhilarating
delight of the hour.
Jack Marcy had made a long, narrow sled by reconstructing the old one
brought from the ship and placing most of their stores on this, and,
seating themselves one behind the other, they started on a wild journey
over the ice.
They had crossed over the cliffs, and as the long whip in Jack’s hands
cracked, the trained animals attached to the sled started on their
journey.
By noon the sled had reached the opposite shores of the lake.
Jack allowed the dogs to take their own course, believing their natural
sagacity would lead them right.
In this he was not in error. Towards evening the animals began to yell
joyfully.
As they rounded a slight elevation in the ground the voyagers knew that
they were near human habitation.
Beyond they could see several ice huts, and four Esquimaux boys near at
hand were engaged in playing a popular American game with bone clubs
and a ball.
The youngsters stared wonderingly at the strangers, and then scampered
off towards the ice huts.
Towards these Jack directed the sled. By the time they had reached them
quite a throng of natives were gathered to greet them.
The leader, a large, closely-muffled man, looked suspiciously at Jack
and his party and extended his hand, murmuring some unintelligible
words.
He also spoke to some of those around him, and these began busily
unloading the sled and carrying the parcels to an ice hut.
When they had completed the transfer the leader motioned for them to
follow him, and led them into the rude home his hospitality placed at
their disposal.
Jack made several efforts to converse with the man by signs and words,
but the latter could not comprehend them.
He accepted, however, several of the packages as presents, and himself
and two others finally brought their guests a large bowl filled with
smoking grease and chunks of fat.
It was an unsavory dish for the boys, hungry as they were, but they ate
some in order that they might not offend their hosts.
The leader left his two companions in the hut, who stared steadily at
the strangers with big, owl-like eyes, but were silent.
“They evidently consider us friends, but don’t know how to express it,”
remarked Jack.
A few moments later, however, an episode occurred which somewhat
changed their confident opinion.
The leader re-entered the hut with an ominous face.
He spoke a few words to his companions, who arose and departed silently.
Then he sat down by Jack and uttered a single word.
It sounded like “Kaoka.”
Jack looked puzzled.
The Esquimaux imitated the actions of a driver on a sled.
“He means the man we saw drowned,” suggested Hugo.
Jack made a motion as of ice opening and closing.
He then went through the pantomime of a man drowning.
The Esquimaux looked fixedly at him for a moment or two, and then shook
his head solemnly.
He arose without another word and left the hut.
“What does that mean?” inquired Hugo.
“It means that he don’t believe us.”
This was soon verified.
The little party were preparing to sleep when a loud thud sounded on
the outside of the hut.
It was followed by others, as if large projectiles were being flung
against the hut.
Then a huge block in the side was dashed in, almost striking one of the
boys.
A second block fell--the hut seemed crumbling into ruins.
Jack caught a glimpse of a dozen or more of the Esquimaux.
They were shouting and gesticulating wildly, and were armed with large
clubs and solid chunks of ice.
“We will be crushed to death!” he cried. “Hand me the gun, Hugo.”
“Don’t shoot, Jack!”
“We must, or they will kill us. It is our only means of self protection
to frighten them away.”
“They are terribly angry.”
“Yes; they think we killed the owner of the dogs and stole the animals.”
“Look out!”
As Hugo uttered the warning a shower of ice fell over the ruined hut.
Jack raised the gun and fired.
The yells of the Esquimaux mingled with the deafening explosion.