CHAPTER TWENTY FIVE.
IN WHICH A GREAT HUNT IS DESCRIBED, A WAR EXPEDITION FRUSTRATED, AND AHERO ENNOBLED.
Now, in a fit of unwise ambition, Anders the interpreter resolved tosignalise himself, and display his valour on the occasion of this hunt.He borrowed a kayak of one of the natives, and went as an independenthunter. Leo, being quite able to row his boat alone, with Oblooria tosteer, did not object.
The whale which had been selected was a thorough-going Arctic monster ofthe largest size, nearly a hundred feet long, which, while on hispassage from the Atlantic to the Pacific through Behring Straits, hadpaused for a nap off the isles of Flatland.
The fleet of kayaks converged towards the fish like a flock of locusts.Despite his utmost efforts, Leo could not do more than keep up in rearof the hunters, for the sharp shuttle-like kayaks shot like arrows overthe smooth sea, while his clumsier boat required greater force to propelit.
In a few minutes those Eskimos who were best paddlers crept ahead of therest. Grabantak and his son took the lead, whether because of right orbecause of superior strength it was hard to say. Anders, who was apowerful fellow, and an expert canoeman, kept close alongside of them.Not content with this, he attempted to pass them; but they saw hisintention, put on what sporting men call a "spurt," and in a few secondsleft him several yards behind.
On nearing their victim, Grabantak and Koyatuk checked their speed andgot their spears ready. A few minutes later and a dozen of thefollowers were up and prepared to act, but they all held back--allexcept the excitable Anders--while the chief and his son glidedcautiously towards the fish, one on either side. Suddenly each graspeda spear and drove it with all the force of both arms deep into thewhale's flesh. It was a rude awaking! Of course the fish divedinstantly. In doing so it flung its tail on high with a superb sweep,sending tons of water, and the impatient Anders, into the air.
The interpreter came down in a cataract of spray, with his kayak doubledup but himself uninjured, while the Eskimos greeted the event with ashout of alarm. This changed into laughter when it was found that theambitious man was none the worse for his toss; and the women in one ofthe oomiak; paddling quickly up, hauled the drenched and crestfallen manout of the sea. They also picked up his spear with the sealskin buoyattached. Giving him the place of honour in the bow, they put the spearin his hand, and bade him keep up heart and do better next time.
Meanwhile the whale, having got over its first surprise, and feeling thetwo large sealskin-floats a somewhat heavy as well as unusual drag, sooncame again to the surface, not far from the spot where Leo lay on hisoars, an amused as well as interested spectator of the scene.
"Ho!" shrieked Oblooria, whose eager little heart was easily excited.She pointed to the fish, and gazed at Leo with blazing eyes.
You may be sure our hero did not lose time. The india-rubber boatleaped over the water as if it had suddenly been endowed with life. Thesmart little woman carefully arranged the spear and buoy ready to hand.Several of the kayaks which chanced to be nearest to the whale rushedtowards it like sword-fish; but they had no chance, Leo being so near.He did not check his speed on reaching the fish, but allowed the boat torun tilt on its back. The smooth india-rubber glided up on the slipperysurface till more than half its length was on the creature's back. Itwas thus checked without a shock--probably unfelt by the whale.
Leo seized the spear, leaped up, and, with both hands, drove it deepinto the flesh, just as the chief and his son had done. The force withwhich he drove it was so great that it thrust the boat back into thewater. This was fortunate, for it enabled them narrowly to escape thevortex that was instantly made by the diving of the now enraged monster;a few back-strokes of the oars took them out of the sea of foam leftbehind.
The masterly manner in which this was done called forth shouts ofadmiration from the entire fleet, and it greatly surprised Leo himself,for it was the first time he had attempted to use the harpoon.
"It _must_ have been chance," he muttered to himself as he again lay onhis oars awaiting the whale's reappearance, "a sort of happy accident.I feel convinced I could not do it so well a second time."
The fish took a longer dive on this occasion, and when he retained tothe surface for another breath of air, was at a considerable distancefrom all parts of the fleet. The instant he was seen, however, everypaddle flashed into the sea, and the kayaks darted away in pursuit.They soon came up with their victim, and another spear, with itsaccompanying sealskin buoy, was fixed in its side. Down it went a thirdtime, and reappeared in quite an opposite direction from that in whichit had been looked for.
This uncertainty in the movements of the whale was a matter of smallmoment to the occupiers of the light kayaks, but it told rather heavilyon Leo in his clumsier boat. He therefore resolved to paddle gentlyabout, take things easy, watch the progress of the chase, and trust tothe chapter of accidents giving him another chance.
"You see, Oblooria," he said in the Eskimo tongue, which he was pickingup rapidly, "it's of no use my pulling wildly about in all directions,blowing myself for nothing; so we'll just hang off-and-on here and watchthem."
As this remark called for no direct reply, Oblooria merely smiled--indeed she more than smiled--but said nothing. It is just possible thatLeo's rendering of the phrase "off-and-on" into Eskimo may have soundedridiculous.
However this may be, the two sat there for some time, absorbed andsilent spectators of the chase.
"How long will they take to kill it?" asked Leo when he saw Grabantakthrust somewhere about the thirty-fifth spear into the victim.
"All day," answered Oblooria.
"All day!" repeated Leo in surprise.
"If they could lance him far in," said the girl, "he would die soon, buthis flesh is thick and his life is deep down."
Leo relapsed into silence. The idea of remaining a mere spectator allday was distasteful to his active mind and body. He had almost made uphis mind to ask one of the natives to lend him a kayak and changeplaces, when a puff of wind sent a few cats-paws over the hithertoglassy sea.
He looked quickly in the direction whence it came, and observed a blueline on the horizon. It was a coming breeze. Ere long it touched them,blowing gently, indeed, but steadily. A glance upwards showed that itwas steadier and stronger in the upper regions, and blew towards thesouth-east, in which direction the chase was being prosecuted withunflagging activity.
"If there was only enough," muttered Leo, "to take the kite up, I'd soonbe alongside of the whale; come, I'll try. Lend a hand, Oblooria."
The Eskimo girl had, during her voyage to Flatland, become so wellacquainted with the operation of extending and setting up the kite, thatshe was able to lend effective assistance. In less than ten minutes itwas expanded, and although Leo was nearly pulled into the water beforehe got fair hold of the regulator, while Oblooria was thrown down by aneccentric whisk of the tail, they managed at last to get it fairly overtheir heads, and soon sent it shooting upwards into the stronger aircurrent above. Of course they began to rush over the sea at a pace thatwould have quickly left the best kayak in the fleet far astern, but Leodid not wish to act precipitately. He sat down in the bow to attend tothe regulator, while Oblooria held the steering-oar.
"Keep her away a bit, Oblooria; starboard--I mean to _that_ side. So,we won't spoil their sport too soon."
He pulled the regulator as he spoke, and eased the pace, while theEskimo girl, with eyes glittering from expectancy and hope, turned theboat off to the right.
Leo seemed to be meditative at first, as if uncertain how to proceed.Soon this condition of mind passed. He let go the regulator, and,taking up the long whale lance with which he had been provided, examinedits blade and point. The full force of the breeze filled the kite andcarried them along at not less than ten miles an hour.
Hitherto the Eskimos had been so intent on their prey that they had noeyes for anything else. Again and again had the whale been pierced bythe stinging harpoons, and the
number of inflated sealskins which he wasobliged by that time to drag down into the deep was so great that hisdives had become more frequent and much shorter. It was obvious thatthe perseverance of his little foes would in the end overcome his mightystrength. It was equally evident, however, that there was still a greatdeal of fighting power left in him, and as some of the harpoons had comeout while several of the floats had broken loose, there was just apossibility that he might yet escape if not vigorously followed up.
Suddenly one of the Eskimos was seen to drop his paddle and point withboth hands to the sky, uttering at the same time a cry of surprise andalarm. There was no mistaking the cry. Every paddle ceased to dip, andevery eye was turned to the sky. Of course every voice gave forth ahowl!
"A mystery!" shouted Grabantak.
"An evil spirit!" cried Koyatuk.
"A new kind of bird!" roared Teyma.
At that moment a cry louder than ever arose. Leo's boat was observedcoming like a narwhal over the sea, with the foam flying from its bows!
The "new kind of bird," so they at first imagined, had let down a longthin tail, caught the boat of the white man, and was flying away withit!
Into the midst of them the boat rushed. They dashed aside right andleft. Leo was standing in the bow. He moved not, spoke not, looked atno one, but stood up, bent a little forward, with a stern frown on hisbrow, his lips compressed, and the long lance held level in both handsas if in the act of charging.
"Catch hold of him!" yelled Grabantak as they flew past. As well mightthey have tried to catch a comet!
"Steer a little to the left," said Leo in a low tone.
Obedient, on the instant, the girl made a sharp stroke with the oar.
"Steady--so. Now, Oblooria, hold on tight for your life!"
They were going straight at the whale. Leo did not dare to think of theresult of his intended attack. He could not guess it. He hoped allwould be well. He had no time to think of _pros_ and _cons_. They wereclose to the victim. On it, now, sliding over its back, while the sharplance entered its body with the full momentum of the charge,--deep downinto its vitals! Blood flew out like a waterspout. The lance was tornfrom Leo's grasp as he fell backwards. Oblooria leaped up, in wildexcitement, dropped her oar, and clapped her hands. At that instant thestout traction-line snapped, and the boat remained fast, while the kitedescended in a series of helpless gyrations into the sea. Next momentthe whale went down in a convulsive struggle, and the boat, with itsdaring occupants, was whelmed in a whirlpool of blood and foam.
No cry proceeded from the Eskimos during this stupendous attack. Theyseemed bereft alike of voice and volition, but, on beholding the closingcatastrophe, they rushed to the rescue with a united roar.
Before they could gain the spot, Leo was seen to emerge from the deep,dripping with pink and white foam like a very water-god. Oblooriafollowed instantly, like a piebald water-nymph. The boat had not beenupset, though overwhelmed, and they had held on to it with the tenacityof a last hope.
Looking sharply round, as he gasped and swept the water from his eyes,Leo seized the oars, which, being attached to the boat, were stillavailable, and rowed with all his might away from the approachingEskimos as if he were afraid of being caught by them. They followedwith, if possible, increased surprise at this inexplicable conduct.They made up to him; some even shot ahead of him. Poor Leo was not amoment too soon in reaching his kite, for these people were about totransfix it with their whale-harpoons, when he dashed up and orderedthem to desist.
Having rescued the miserable-looking thing from the sea and hastilyfolded it, he placed it in the bow. Then breathing freely, he began tolook about him just as the whale came again to the surface in a dyingflurry. It so chanced that it came up right under Grabantak's kayak,which it tossed up end over end. This would not have been a seriousmatter if it had not, the next moment, brought its mighty tail down onthe canoe. It then sheered off a hundred yards or so, leaped half itslength out of the water, and fell over on its side with a noise likethunder and died.
Every one turned to the place where the chief's kayak lay a completewreck on the water. Its owner was seen swimming beside it, and was soonhauled into one of the women's oomiaks. Evidently he had been severelyhurt, but he would not admit the fact. With characteristic dignity hesternly ordered the fleet to lay hold of the whale and make for theshore.
"Tell him his arm is broken," said Leo that evening to Anders, afterexamining the chief's hurts in the privacy of his own hut, "and let himknow that I am a medicine-man and will try to cure him."
Grabantak received the information with a look of anger.
"Then," said he, "Amalatok must live a little longer, for I cannot fighthim with a broken arm. Go," he added, looking full at Leo withsomething like admiration, "go, you have done well to-day; my young menwant to make your nose blue."
The peremptory nature of the chief's command forbade delay. Leo wastherefore obliged to creep out of his hut, wondering intensely, and nota little uncomfortably, as to what having his nose made blue could mean.
He was quickly enlightened by Anders, who told him that the mostsuccessful harpooner in a whale hunt is looked on as a very greatpersonage indeed, and is invariably decorated with what may be styledthe Eskimo order of the Blue Ribbon.
Scarcely had he received this information, when he was seized by theyoung men and hurried into the midst of an expectant circle, where hesubmitted with a good grace to the ceremony. A youth advanced to him,made a few complimentary remarks, seized him by the right ear, and, witha little wet paint, drew a broad blue line across his face over thebridge of his nose. He was then informed that he had received thehighest honour known to the Eskimos of the far north, and that, amongother privileges, it gave him the right of marrying two wives if he feltdisposed to do so! Accepting the honour, but declining the privilege,Leo expressed his gratitude for the compliment just paid him in a neatEskimo speech, and then retired to his hut in search of much-neededrepose, not a little comforted by the thought that the chief's brokenarm would probably postpone the threatened war for an indefinite period.
That night ridiculous fancies played about his deerskin pillow, for hedreamed of being swallowed by a mad whale, and whisked up to the sky bya kite with a broken arm and a blue stripe across its nose!