CHAPTER SEVENTEEN.
TELLS OF DESPAIR AND A WILD PURSUIT.
On discovering that Nunaga and the children were not at Moss Bay, andthat there were no fresh sledge tracks in that region to tell of theirwhereabouts, Simek drove back to the village at a wild scamper, in astate of mind very much the reverse of jovial. His hope was that thegirl might have been to some other locality, and had perhaps returnedduring his absence; but the first glance at Nuna put that hope toflight, for the poor woman was in a state of terrible anxiety.
Cheery little Kunelik and her mild son did their best to comfort her,but without success, for she knew well the determined character of theman who had probably carried off her children.
"Has she not come back?" demanded Simek, appearing, like an infuriatedPolar bear, at the inside opening of the passage to Okiok's mansion.
"No," gasped Nuna.
Simek said no more, but backed out faster than he had come in. Ippegoofollowed him.
"Run, Ippe; tell all the men to get all their sledges and dogs ready,and come here to me."
Ippegoo ran off at once, while the energetic hunter rearranged thefastenings of his own sledge and team as if for a long journey.
He was thus engaged when Okiok and Angut were seen approaching thevillage at an easy trot. Evidently they knew nothing of what hadoccurred. Simek ran out to meet them. A few words sufficed to explain.The news seemed to stun both men at first, but the after-effect on eachwas wonderfully different. The blood rushed to Okiok's face like atorrent. He clenched his hands and teeth, glared and stamped, and wenton like one deranged--as indeed for the moment he was. Angut, on theother hand, was perfectly self-possessed and subdued, but his heavingchest, quivering nostrils, compressed lips, and frowning brows told thata volcano of emotion raged within.
Turning suddenly to Okiok, he seized him by both arms as if his handswere vices.
"Listen," he said, with a sort of subdued intensity, that had the effectof quieting his friend; "get out your sledge and dogs."
"All are ready," interposed Simek, eagerly.
Angut waited for no more, but, leaving his friends, ran off at fullspeed towards the village. Okiok and Simek leaped on their respectivesledges and followed.
On arriving, it was found that most of the active men of the tribe werealready assembled, with dogs harnessed, provisions and hunting-gearstrapped down, and all ready for a journey of any length.
To these Angut gave directions in a tone and manner that deeplyimpressed his friends. Not that he was loud or eager or violent; on thecontrary, he was unusually calm, but deadly pale, and with an air oftremendous resolution about him that made the men listen intently andobey with promptitude. In a very few minutes he had sent off one andanother in almost every direction, with instructions where to go, whatto do, and how and when to return, in the event of failure. Then heleaped on his own sledge, and turned to Red Rooney, who was standing by.
"Ridroonee," he said, in a somewhat sad tone, "I go to find Nunaga. IfI succeed not, you will see me no more."
He held out his hand to take farewell in the Kablunet's fashion.
"What say you?" exclaimed Rooney, taken by surprise, "Nonsense! see youno--Pooh!--hold on a bit."
He ran into his friend's hut, and quickly returned with his bear-skinsleeping-bag and a small wallet which contained his little all.
"Now then," he cried, jumping on the sledge, "away you go as soon as youlike. I'm with 'ee, lad."
Angut shook his head.
"But the Kablunet is not yet strong enough to travel," said the Eskimo,doubtfully.
"The Kablunet is strong enough to pitch you over his head; and he'll doit too, if you don't drive on."
With another doubtful look and shake of the head, Angut seized his whip.The dogs, knowing the signal well, sprang up. At that moment Angutobserved the little eyes of Kannoa peering at him wistfully.
"Come," he said, holding out a hand.
The old woman's visage beamed with joy, as she seized the hand, andscrambled on the sledge. Then the lash came round with the wontedcrack. The dogs winced, but did not suffer, for Angut was merciful tohis beasts, and away they went at full speed--Okiok having dashed off insimilar fashion with his two sons and Simek in another direction a fewminutes before them.
North, south, east, and west, on land and sea, did those Eskimos searchfor tracks of the fugitives; but the whole immediate neighbourhood wasso cut up in all directions by the daily out-going and in-coming oftheir own hunters, that the discovering of a special track was noteasy--indeed, almost impossible. All day they sped over the ice andsnow in widening circles. When night came, they waited till the moonarose, and then continued the search. It was not till the forenoon ofthe following day that the unsuccessful searchers began to drop in oneby one, worn-out and disheartened.
Nuna and the other women had breakfast ready for them. Little was said,for the women were depressed, and the men, after eating, immediatelysought much-needed repose. It was nearly evening before Okiok and hissons returned.
"No sign anywhere," he said in reply to his poor wife's mute inquiry."Ippegoo," he added, turning to the youth, whose woe-begone expressionat another time would have been ludicrous, "I will sleep for some time.Let the dogs be well fed all round, and be ready to start with me whenthe moon rises."
Without another word, he stretched himself on the floor, pillowed hishead on a deerskin, and went to sleep almost on the instant.
Meanwhile Angut had driven straight to Moss Bay. His search was not oneof a wild haphazard nature. Despite the agitation of his breast, hismind was clear and his head cool. Judging that Nunaga must at leasthave started for her intended destination, whatever might afterwardshave induced her to change her mind, he drove slowly along, observingwith a lynx eye everything that looked in the slightest degree like adivergence from the route. The consequence was, that on reaching theplace where the divergence had actually taken place, he pulled up, andgot off the sledge to examine.
"You're right," remarked Rooney, who accompanied his friend, while oldKannoa remained with the dogs. "It's easy to see that a sledge hasturned off here."
"Quite easy," responded the Eskimo, with suppressed eagerness; "we willfollow."
Running back, they turned the dogs into the fresh track, and soon cameto the place where Ujarak had joined the women. Angut pointed to thefootprints with a gleam of unusual ferocity in his eyes. For some timethey could easily follow the track, and went along at a rapid pace; butwhen it led them to the point where it joined other tracks, thedifficulty of following became great. Of course Angut at onceunderstood the object of this ruse, and became more attentive to everymark that seemed in the remotest degree to indicate another divergence,but failed to hit upon the spot, and finally came to a halt when far outon the floes where drift had obliterated the old sledge-marks, and arecent track could not have escaped notice. Then he made a widecircular sweep, which was meant to cut across all the tracks thatradiated from the village.
In this manoeuvre he was more successful.
Towards evening he came upon a recent track which led straight to thesouthward.
"Got him at last!" exclaimed Rooney, with a shout of excitement andsatisfaction.
"I think so," said Angut, as he went down on his knees and carefullyexamined the marks on the floe. His opinion was clearly shown by hisstarting up suddenly, jumping on the sledge again, flourishing his whipsavagely, and setting off at a pace that obliged Rooney to seize thelashings with both hands and hold on tight. Old Kannoa did the same,and stuck to the sledge like a limpet, with her chin resting on herknees and her sharp little eyes gazing anxiously ahead.
Soon they came to the rough ground that had tried the quality of thewizard's sledge, and the vehicle bumped over the ice at such a rate thatthe poor old woman was almost pitched out.
"Hallo! hold on!" cried Rooney, as they went over a hummock with a crashthat made Kannoa gasp, "you'll kill the poor thing if you--"
He stopped short, for another crash almost tumbled himself over thestern of the vehicle.
Angut was roused to desperation. He scarcely knew what he was doing, ashe lashed the yelping team furiously, hoping that when he should passthe cape ahead of him he would come in sight of the fugitives.
"Here, catch hold of me, old woman," cried Rooney, putting an arm roundthe poor creature's waist; "sit on my legs. They'll act something likea buffer to your old bones."
Kannoa gave a sort of lively chuckle at the novelty of the situation,let go her hold of the sledge, and made a sudden plunge at Rooney,grasping him tight round the neck with both arms. She was little morethan a baby in the seaman's huge grasp, nevertheless, having only onearm to spare, and with a sledge that not only bumped, but swung aboutlike a wild thing, he found her quite as much as he could manage.
The night had fairly set in when the cape was rounded, so that nothingcould be distinguished, not even the track they had been following--andtravelling became dangerous.
"No use to push on, Angut," remarked Rooney, as his friend pulled up;"we must have patience."
"Yes; the moon will be up soon," returned his friend; "we will now restand feed."
The resting meant sitting there in the dark on the side of the sleigh,and the feeding consisted in devouring a lump of seal's flesh raw.Although not very palatable, this was eminently profitable food, asAngut well knew. As for Rooney, he had learned by that time to eatwhatever came in his way with thankfulness--when hungry, and not to eatat all when otherwise.
The moon rose at last, and revealed the sheet of glassy ice which hadpreviously disconcerted Ujarak. Angut also beheld it with much concern,and went on foot to examine it. He returned with an anxious look.
"They have crossed," he said moodily, "but the ice has cracked much, andmy sledge is, I fear, heavier than theirs."
"We can walk, you know, and so lighten it," said Rooney.
"No; it is only by a dash at full speed that we can do it. Will myfriend run the risk?"
"He would not be your friend if he were not willing," returned theseaman gravely; "but what about Kannoa? It's not fair to risk herlife."
"We cannot leave her behind," said Angut, with a perplexed glance at thecowering figure on the sledge. "She could not return to the village onfoot. That would be greater risk to her than going on with us."
At this point the old woman looked up with a sort of pleasant grin, andcroaked--
"Kannoa is not heavy. Take her with you. She is quite willing to liveor die with Angut and Ridroonee."
With a slight smile the Eskimo resumed his place and whip. Rooneypatted Kannoa on the head as he sat down beside her, and called her a"brave old girl."
Another moment, and the dogs were out on the glassy plain, galloping aswell as they could, and yelping as much from fear of the rending andbending ice as the cracking whip.
They had not advanced twenty yards when one of the sledge-runners brokethrough. This brought them to a sudden halt. Next moment the sledgewent down, and Angut found himself struggling with the dogs in the sea.Fortunately Rooney, being near the back part of the sledge, was able toroll off in a sort of back-somersault before the vehicle was quitesubmerged. Even in the act he did not forget Kannoa. He made a blindgrasp at her in passing, but found her not, for that remarkable woman,at the first alarm, and being well aware of what was coming, hadsprawled off at the rear, and was already on the ice in safety.
The two now set to work to rescue Angut and the dogs. The former hadcut the latter free from the sledge, so that it was not difficult tohaul them out along with their master. For it must be remembered that,although the thin ice had failed to bear the sledge, it was sufficientlystrong to support the individuals singly.
To get the sledge out of the water was, however, a matter of muchgreater difficulty, but they accomplished it in the course of an hour orso. The process of doing this helped to dry Angut's garments, which wasfortunate. It was also fortunate that the sharp spring frost, which hadset fast the space of open water, had by that time given way, so thatthere was no fear of evil consequences from the ducking either to dogsor man.
But now came the serious question, What was to be done?
"It is of no use trying it again," said Angut, in a frame of mindamounting almost to despair.
"Could we not send Kannoa back with the sledge, and you and I make sailafter them on foot?" asked Rooney.
Angut shook his head despondingly.
"Of no use," he said; "they have the best dogs in our village. As wellmight a rabbit pursue a deer. No; there is but one course. Theland-ice is impassable, but the floes out on the sea seem still to befast. If they break up while we are on them we shall be lost. WillRidroonee agree to take old Kannoa back to her friends, and I will goforward with the sledge alone?"
"What say you, Kannoa?" asked Rooney, turning to the old woman with ahalf-humorous look.
"Kannoa says she will live or die with Angut and Ridroonee," she repliedfirmly.
"You're a trump!" exclaimed the seaman in English. Then, turning to theEskimo--
"You see, Angut, it's impossible to get rid of us, so up anchor, my boy,and off we go seaward. The truth is, I ought to feel more in my elementwhen we get out to sea."
Seeing that they were resolved, Angut made no further objection, but,directing the dogs' heads away from the land, flourished his long whipover them, and set off at as break-neck a pace as before over theseaward ice-floes.