Beadle's Boy's Library of Sport, Story, and Adventure, No. 37 — page 10: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

— ee ee — a -_* a, =<. on eo ee ted ha - 7.» de £. = - = 4 , 4 . =< he - = ae eee + aes ’ r a =--— : =< }~ ——— ; be awn eee ' ¢ 10 en pea ce a a | Oem ee ee Old Tar Knuckle and His Boy Chums. appeared from the settlement. At last a num- ber of them, well armed with spears, and head ed by the chief man of the tribe, advanced toward the Indians, Atlength a colloquy appeared to take place betweeu the two parties. It lasted for some minutes, after which the Indians hurried off. “Can your Skeemos and them chaps under- stand, each other?’ inquired Knuckle. “Some Dog-rib speak a little Esquimaux,” re- plied Yonkitt. When the sailors entered the settlement, hours later, they were met by Ayatak, the chief, Okotook and a number of others. ~ The former addressed himself to Yonkitt. ** What does he say?” inquired Knuckle, who began to feel a little uneasy at the stern, gloomy looks cast upon him and his young friends. ‘Him say white men must go’way!” answer- ed Yonukitt. “Go away? Where on ’arth are we to go to, at this time, in the winter? I sartinly didn’t expect sich treatment from the Skeemos.” ** Him say must go!” repeated Yonkitt. ‘Why, blast em! What has changed ’em so sudden like?” cried Knuckle. ‘May I be skin- ned for a walrus, if 1 don’t b’lieve them Ribs has had somethin’ to do with it!” *“‘ Me t’ink so, too,” said Yonkitt, ‘‘ but Ayatak say not.” “*Tt’s an infarnal lie!” cried Knuckle. ‘The Injuns have threatened ’em, and if my suspi- cions is correct, they are going to give us up to them!” “Me ask if not so, and they say no,” remarked Yonkitt. Meanwhile some of the Esquimaux were seen busily preparing oneof the sledges, asif for a long journey. In fact the clattering of many tongues, with which was blended the yeiping of the dogs, which were being harnessed to the sleigh, made such a din as the seamen had never before heard in the settlement. It appeared as if a portion ofthe Esquimaux were expostulating with many of the others. While this was going on, the sailors were ' closely hemmed in by Okotook and a number of ople. ' “T think we’d hetter sheer off and make for our cave,” whispered Knuckle to the boys. They endeavored to push through the crowd, but the Esquimaux blocked the way. “Come, give us sea-room there!” cried the old fourth mate. ‘“‘ They notlet us go,” said Youkitt. ‘‘ They say Rotting sledge ready for us!” ‘The sledge? What have we to do with that?” “ They say we must make long {qustley- Are going to send us to Russian settlement, where we find plenty friends.” ‘*IT don’t believe em. They are going to give us up to them blasted Dog-ribs!” As the oldtarspoke many of the Esquimaux closed round them. They threw themselves upon them, hurled them down, and fastened their wrists and ankles with tough ropes of sealskin The sledge was now ready. Ten dogs, vem, and well-trained animals, had been harnessed to it by means of a tough line of sealskin, one bigbt of which was placed about the neck and another about each of the fore-legs. A thong leading over the back was fastenedto the sledge toserve as a trace. One dog, larger than the others, was placed ahead as a leader. The sleigh, about twelve feet long, was very low, with six or seven seats extending cross- ways, and therunners were curved and sharply pointed at the ends, the sailors except Yonkitt were now eon and thrust into the back part of the sleigh. It was evident that some of the Esquimaux, among whom was the wife of Okotook, ob- jected to the whites being taken off. These persons expostulated with the rest, but Ayatak said something to them in a loud, angry voice, which had the effect of silencing them. . A large, fat Esquimaux, whose name was Boolonok, now stepped upon the fore part of the sleigh, and seated himself witb his legs hanging over one side of the vehicle. This was the driver, who held in his left hand a whip made of whalebone, about sixteen inches long, having a lash not less than thirty feet in yee Another man, provided with a spear and along knife, also entered the sleigh, evidently to keep watch over Knuckle and his two young ship- mates. Soon after, a couple of Esquimaux appeared from bebind one of the huts, carrying a small kajak, or boat, in which were a number of furs and sealskins, ‘« What, in the name of the etarnal codfish, is that for?’ ejaculated Knuckle. ‘‘ Are these chaps going to give us asail in addition to t’other * pleasures’ they have in store for us?” ‘** Boat and skins for Injuns, me t’ink,” said Yonkitt, who stoof@ near the sleigh. ‘‘ P’raps Injuns tell Esquimaux must give ’em a boat, as well as odder t’ings,” ‘Why, what infarnal cowards they are, to agree to sich tarms!” said Knuckle. ‘*Many Injuns and few Esquimaux,” said Yonkitt. “If plenty Esquimaux, dem _ not afraid.” ‘**You are parfectly welcome to stand up for your people, Yonkitt,” said the fourth mate, ** but if don’t agree with you, for all that.” The kajak was placed upon the back part of the sleigh, and was secured to one of the seats with thongs. Then the driver, flourishing his long whip, but scarcely touching the dogs with it, uttered a few words which the intelligent animals seemed to understand at once, for they started off ata brisk trot. ‘“‘Ay, ay, here we are, off for ‘kingdom come!’” said Knuckle, as the sleigh glided smoothly and swiftly along over the hard crust of the frozen snow. On went the vehicle, and soon the Esquimaux Village was left far behind. “ That must be the Indian encampment,” said Hasler, pointing far ahead, where a thin col- umn of smoke rose in the air. ‘* Ay, ay, about five miles off,” said Knuckle. **'We will soon be prisoners among them infar- nal Ribs!” ‘*TIs there no way that we can escape?” said Nye. ‘It appears to me that our thongs are loosely tied. “Ay, loosely enough; but,it would puzzle an admiral to untie sich knots, especially as we have not the use of our hands to untie them,” said Hasler. The sleigh was now passing through a pine forest. The cold wind whistled dolefully through the branches, which shook with a crackling sound. As the sleigh finally emerged from the woods, the occupants could see the smoke of the Indian encampment, not more than two miles off. They also fancied they could discern a number of persons on a hill, near it, watching the ap- proaching sleigh. **Them are fhe Ribs, I think,” said Knuckle. ‘‘The Lord help us, lads. I’m afeared we are in for it. It was a sorry day for us when we came on this coast!” Just then the sleigh descended into a sort of hollow, which temporarily hid the smoke and the forms on the bill from the party. The Esquimaux guard was at that moment conversing with the driver, while the three whites sat with their eyes carelessly turned on the kajak, which in the back part of the sleigh, almost touched them. All at once Knuckle nudged Hasler’s elbow, ** Lad,” he whispered, “‘ as true as there’s bull- fish, I saw them skins move in that boat!” Even as he spoke the skins lifted, and the pant of Ingluk was thrust over the edge of the at. She lifted her hand in which was a knife, as a sign to the whites to make no noise. Then, lightly stepping from the kajak, she quickly cut with the knife the thongs which held the wrists and the ankles of the prisoners. In an instant they sprung out of the sleigh which bad now emerged from the hollow and Was passing round the outer edge of a long line of rocks. Ingluk sprung after them, and, dart- ing ahead, beckoned to them to follow her. So rapidly and noiselessly was all this done, that the guard, who still had his back turned toward the rear of the sleigh, had not yet be- come aware of the escape. The three liberated sailors followed Ingluk, who now took a direetion parallel with the line of rocks. woods, on reaching which she ensconced herself behind a tree, and motioned to her companions to do the same, Loud eries were heardin the direction the sleigh had taken, as if from the Esquimaux, who had just discovered that the whites were missing. These cries, however, were succeeded by whoops and yells. ‘‘Them are not the Skeemos!” said Knuckle. ‘* They are the Injuns!” ‘ Ingluk trembled from head to foot, and hid her face with both hands. F ‘‘'Yes, they must be the Indians,” said Nye. ‘*Probably they came to meet the sleigh, and have discove our escape!” Again Ingluk started forward, fleeing over 9? Soon after, she turned off toward the | the frozen snow with the speed of a deer. As the party ran on, they heard the yelping of the dogs attached to the sleigh. ngluk paused and listened, ‘The sleigh is coming,” said Hasler. will be overtaken!” As he spoke the sleigh emerged to view from around the angle of the line of rocks. It con- tained but one of the Esquimaux, who, seated upright, appeared to be gazing straight ahead of bim. The girl again sped oh. Soon, reaching a small hollow, over which lay a couple of fallen trees, she crouched there, beckoning to the whites to follow her example. *'What’s the use?’ said Knuckle: “that Skeemo must have sighted us, and he is steering straight for this latitude. It’s only one, and I see no reason to be afeared of him.” But Ingluk made such animated gestures for him to crouch, that he and the boys complied. Searcely had they done so, when, emerging round the rocks, appeared half a dozen hideous savages, armed with spears, bows and arrows. They came to a balt, and, standing with their blankets streaming from their shoulders, they took a keen survey of the country before them. Then they moved along the base of the rocks, peering into the rifts and hollows. “They are looking for us,” said Nye. ** Ay, and if we stay here, I’m thinking they'll soon spy us out,” said Knuckle, As he spoke several of the Indians started for- ward, walking straight toward the hollow in which the fugitives were concealed. “Give me your knife, lass,” said the old tar, holding out his hand toward Ingluk, ‘‘ Them infarnel Ribs sha’n’t take us without some sort of a fight—leastways, without a few kicks!” But Ingluk shook her head. Her gaze was fixed steadily and keenly upon thesleigh, which, rapidly approaching, was now within twenty yards of the hollow. At the same moment there was a simultaneous ell from three Indians, as they raised their 20WS. “It’s all up with us—we are lost! They see us!” cried Hasler. As he spoke three sharply-pointed arrows came whizzing between the trunks of the trecs, striking the ground within a foot of the con- cealed party. All the Aner now darted toward the hol- low, running with a speed which the whites knew they could not equal, should they take to their heels. Meanwhile there, too, was the sleigh, with its driver, darting toward the hollow with the speed of the wind. ‘We are sartainly doomed,” said the fourth mate, ‘‘doomed to be speared by them ugly critters, instead of dyin’ a nat’ral death from drownin’, or t’otherwise, and p’raps they’ll skin us arterwards, for that matter!” added Knuckle, dolefully. At this time the sleigh was within about thirty yards of the hollow. To the surprise of Knuckle and the boys, the driver did not look toward it, but kept his gaze still fixed in front of him, The vehicle, if kept on its present course, must pass within several yards of the fugitives. . Ingluk, still watching the sleigh, suddenly sprung up, and, movionwyg to her companions to follow her, darted toward it. ' Springing directly in its path, as it came, she shouted some words to the dogs, which, imme- diately slackening their pace, halted when close to the speaker. A simultaneous cry escaped the sailors as they now looked at the driver. Seated bolt upright, as already stated, the Esquimaux was silent and motionless, his fea- tures rigid, his eyes glazed and fixed. HE WAS STONE DEAD! ce We CHAPTER X. THE HUNTED SAILORS. THE unfortunate driver had heen killed by the Indians, who, with the barbarous cruelty pecu- liar to their race, had, after murdering him, by thrusting a spear through his body, arranged the weapon so that it would keep his form upright on the seat. In this position they inferred that the corpse would be carried by the dogs at- tached to the sleigh back to the encampment, and thns strike terror to the hearts of their enemies—the Esquimaux. Probably the Indians had not intended to bbc the dogs to depart from them so soon. The animals bad evidently broken from them and run off before they could stop them. ; ws Ipgluk motioning to her companions to imitate her example, now sprung into the sleigh, GEomicbooks (Eo)