The end of so perilous and novel a journey, which must necessarily,
under the most favorable circumstances, have produced more honor
than profit, was attained; and yet the success of the adventure was
doubtful. The season was still too cold for any search for fossil
ivory, and the first serious duty was the erection of a winter
residence. Fortunately there was an ample supply of logs of wood, some
half-rotten, some green, lying under the snow on the shores of the bay
into which the river poured, and which had been deposited there by
the currents and waves. A regular pile, too, was found, which had been
laid up by some of the provident natives of New Siberia, who, like
the Esquimaux, live in the snow. Under this was a large supply of
frozen fish, which was taken without ceremony, the party being near
starvation. Of course Sakalar and Ivan intended replacing the hoard,
if possible, in the short summer.
Wood was made the groundwork of the winter hut which was to be
erected, but snow and ice formed by far the larger portion of the
building materials. So hard and compact did the whole mass become when
finished, and lined with bear-skins and other furs, that a huge lamp
sufficed for warmth during the day and night, and the cooking was
done in a small shed by the side. The dogs were now set to shift for
themselves as to cover, and were soon buried in the snow. They were
placed on short allowance, now they had no work to do, for no one yet
knew what were the resources of this wild place.
As soon as the more immediate duties connected with a camp had been
completed, the whole party occupied themselves with preparing traps
for foxes, and in other hunting details. A hole was broken in the
ice in the bay, and this the Kolimsk men watched with assiduity for
seals. One or two rewarded their efforts, but no fish were taken.
Sakalar and Ivan, after a day or two of repose, started with some
carefully-selected dogs in search of game, and soon found that the
great white bear took up his quarters even in that northern latitude.
They succeeded in killing several, which the dogs dragged home.
About ten days after their arrival in the great island, Sakalar, who
was always the first to be moving, roused his comrades round him just
as a party of a dozen strange men appeared in the distance. They were
short, stout fellows, with long lances in their hands, and by their
dress very much resembled the Esquimaux. Their attitude was menacing
in the extreme, and by the advice of Sakalar, a general volley was
fired over their heads. The invaders halted, looked confusedly around,
and then ran away. Firearms retained. therefore, all their pristine
qualities with these savages.
"They will return," said Sakalar, moodily; "they did the same when
I was here before, and then came back and killed my friend at night.
Sakalar escaped."
Counsel was now held, and it was determined, after due deliberation,
that strict watch should be kept at all hours, while much was
necessarily trusted to the dogs. All day one of the party was on the
lookout, while at night the hut had its entrance well barred. Several
days, however, were thus passed without molestation, and then Sakalar
took the Kolimsk men out to hunt, and left Ivan and Kolina together.
The young man had learned the value of his half-savage friend: her
devotion to her father and the party generally was unbounded. She
murmured neither at privations nor at sufferings, and kept up the
courage of Ivan by painting in glowing terms all his brilliant future.
She seemed to have laid aside her personal feelings, and to look on
him only as one doing battle with fortune in the hope of earning the
hand of the rich widow of Yakoutsk. But Ivan was much disposed to
gloomy fits; he supposed himself forgotten, and slighted, and looked
on the time of his probation as interminable. It was in this mood that
one day he was roused from his fit by a challenge from Kolina to go
and see if the seals had come up to breathe at the hole which every
morning was freshly broken in the ice. Ivan assented, and away they
went gaily down to the bay. No seals were there, and after a short
stay they returned toward the hut, recalled by the distant howling
of the dogs. But as they came near, they could see no sign of men or
animals, though the sensible brutes still whined under the shelter
of their snow-heaps. Ivan, much surprised, raised the curtain of the
door, his gun in hand, expecting to find that some animal was inside.
The lamp was out, and the hut in total darkness. Before Ivan could
recover his upright position, four men leaped on him, and he was a
prisoner.
Kolina drew back, and cocked her gun; but the natives, satisfied
with their present prey, formed round Ivan in a compact body, tied
his hands, and bade him walk. Their looks were sufficiently wild
and menacing to make him move, especially as he recognized them
as belonging to the warlike party of the Tchouktchas--a tribe of
Siberians who wander about the Polar Seas in search of game, who cross
Behring's Straits in skin-boats, and who probably are the only persons
who by their temporary sojourn in New Siberia, have caused some to
suppose it inhabited. Kolina stood uncertain what to do, but in a few
minutes she roused four of the dogs, and followed. Ivan bawled to her
to go back, but the girl paid no attention to his request, determined,
as it seemed, to know his fate.
The savages hurried Ivan along as rapidly as they could; and soon
entered a deep and narrow ravine, which about the middle parted into
two. The narrowest path was selected, and the dwelling of the natives
soon reached. It was a cavern, the narrow entrance of which they
crawled through; Ivan followed the leader, and soon found himself in
a large and wonderful cave. It was by nature divided into several
compartments, and contained a party of twenty men, as many or more
women, and numerous children. It was warmed in two ways--by wood-fires
and grease-lamps, and by a bubbling semi-sulphurous spring, that
rushed up through a narrow hole, and then fell away into a deep well,
that carried its warm waters to mingle with the icy sea. The acrid
smoke escaped by holes in the roof. Ivan, his arms and legs bound, was
thrust into a separate compartment filled with furs, and formed by a
projection of the rock and the skin-boats which this primitive race
employed to cross the most stormy seas. He was almost stunned; he lay
for a while without thought or motion. Gradually he recovered, and
gazed around; all was night, save above, where by a narrow orifice
he saw the smoke which hung in clouds around the roof escaping.
He expected death. He knew the savage race he was among, who hated
interference with their hunting-grounds, and whose fish he and his
party had taken. What, therefore, was his surprise, when from the
summit of the roof, he heard a gentle voice whispering in soft accents
his own name. His ears must, he thought, deceive him. The hubbub close
at hand was terrible. A dispute was going on. Men, women. and children
all joined, and yet he had heard the word "Ivan." "Kolina," he
replied, in equally low but clear tones. As he spoke a knife rolled
near him. But he could not touch it. Then a dark form filled the
orifice about a dozen feet above his head, and something moved down
among projecting stones, and then Kolina stood by him. In an instant
Ivan was free, and an axe in his hand. The exit was before them. Steps
were cut in the rock, to ascend to the upper entrance, near which Ivan
had been placed without fear, because tied. But a rush was heard, and
the friends had only time to throw themselves deeper into the cave,
when four men rushed in, knife in hand, to immolate the victim. Such
had been the decision come to after the debate.
The lamps revealed the escape of the fugitive. A wild cry drew all the
men together, and then up they scampered along the rugged projections,
and the barking of the dogs as they fled showed that they were in hot
and eager chase. Ivan and Kolina lost no time. They advanced boldly,
knife and hatchet in hand, sprang amid the terrified women, darted
across their horrid cavern, and before one of them had recovered from
her fright, were in the open air. On they ran in the gloom for some
distance, when they suddenly heard muttering voices. Down they sank
behind the first large stone, concealing themselves as well as they
could in the snow. The party moved slowly on toward them.
"I can trace their tracks still," said Sakalar, in a low deep tone.
"On, while they are alive, or at least for vengeance!"
"Friends!" cried Ivan.
"Father!" said Kolina, and in an instant the whole party were united.
Five words were enough to determine Sakalar. The whole body rushed
back, entered the cavern, and found themselves masters of it without
a struggle. The women and children attempted no resistance. As soon
as they were placed in a corner, under the guard of the Kolimsk men,
a council was held. Sakalar, as the most experienced, decided what
was to be done. He knew the value of threats: one of the women was
released, and bade go tell the men what had occurred. She was to add
the offer of a treaty of peace, to which, if both parties agreed,
the women were to be given up on the one side, and the hut and its
contents on the other. But the victors announced their intention
of taking four of the best-looking boys as hostages, to be returned
whenever they were convinced of the good faith of the Tchouktchas. The
envoy soon returned, agreeing to everything. They had not gone near
the hut, fearing an ambuscade. The four boys were at once selected,
and the belligerents separated.
Sakalar made the little fellows run before, and thus the hut was
regained. An inner cabin was erected for the prisoners, and the dogs
placed over them as spies. But as the boys understood Sakalar to mean
that the dogs were to eat them if they stirred, they remained still
enough, and made no attempt to run away.
A hasty meal was now cooked, and after its conclusion Ivan related
the events of the day, warmly dilating on the devotion and courage of
Kolina, who, with the keenness of a Yakouta, had found out his prison
by the smoke, and had seen him on the ground despite the gloom.
Sakalar then explained how, on his return, he had been terribly
alarmed, and had followed the trail on the snow. After mutual
congratulations the whole party went to sleep.
The next morning early, the mothers came humbly with provisions for
their children. They received some trifling presents and were sent
away in delight. About midday the whole tribe presented themselves
unarmed, within a short distance of the hut, and offered a traffic.
They brought a great quantity of fish, which they wanted to exchange
for tobacco. Sakalar, who spoke their language freely, first gave them
a roll, letting them understand it was in payment of the fish taken
without leave. This at once dissipated all feelings of hostility, and
solid peace was insured. So satisfied was Sakalar of their sincerity,
that he at once released the captives.
From that day the two parties were one, and all thoughts of war were
completely at an end. A vast deal of bloodshed had been prevented by a
few concessions on both sides. The same result might indeed have been
come to by killing half of each little tribe, but it is doubtful if
the peace would have been as satisfactory to the survivors.
* * * * *