ose the ship then we
are lost indeed. If we go out to them, they may be afraid to venture in
alone. Come, we must hurry!"

Obeying the captain's advice, they all donned their fur garments, and
each took a revolver and several rounds of ammunition. These small
weapons could be concealed about them without much trouble.

Then the whole party emerged from the cabins out on the forward deck of
the _Monarch_. It was high time, for several of the Esquimaux, with
their big stone axes, were advancing to batter in the doors. At the
sight of the adventurers, who had only been dimly observed through the
windows, there arose a great shout among the savages.

Rapidly the air-travelers climbed over the ship's rail, down on to the
ice, and walked boldly among the Esquimaux.

"Show a brave front!" exclaimed the captain, in a low voice. "Perhaps
they mean no harm after all."

But this idea was soon dismissed. With a shout the foremost of the
natives rushed on the party of whites, surrounded them, and, before any
one had a chance to draw his revolver, had he desired to do so, each
member of the _Monarch's_ crew was seized and bound with strong thongs
of walrus hide.

"Well, they've got us," groaned old Andy. "I wish I'd taken a few shots
at them first!"

The old inventor watched narrowly every move the Esquimaux made. At
first several of the natives showed a desire to penetrate the interior
of the _Monarch_. But the commands of one big man, evidently the chief,
who was clad entirely in white furs, deterred them. Scores crawled up
the ice hummock and looked the strange craft over with wondering eyes,
but none molested it.

Suddenly the man in the white furs uttered a loud cry. It was answered
from a dozen throats, and then great activity was manifested. Big
sledges, made of bone for a framework, with laced thongs for a body,
were brought up, and dogs were harnessed to the vehicles. While some
natives were attending to this, others scattered in different
directions, returning presently with large supplies of dead fish, seals,
and a large polar bear.

"This is evidently a hunting party," said Mr. Henderson. "They have been
away from their main town or camp for several days, and were on their
way back when they saw our airship. I wonder what they will do with us."

He was not long left in doubt. The chief of the Esquimaux approached
the adventurers, who, bound with thongs, were sitting on the ice. He
addressed Washington in a st