.
Then, as a sled of one of the natives shot near to Jack's, the boy
noticed that the Esquimaux's face was calm, and he was smiling a bit.

"This doesn't look as if he was going to be killed," reasoned the boy.
But the speed of the sleds never slackened and Jack was much afraid, as
were the other prisoners.

But at length, with a swish and a whizz, the sleighs shot around a
curve, and slid out on a broad expanse of smooth ice. Off jumped the
natives, laughing and chatting. Then Jack realized the truth.

The Esquimaux, instead of trusting to their dogs to draw them down the
steep hill, had simply coasted, just as Jack had done many a time at
home.

In a little while the dogs, that had been led by a number of the natives
down an easier path than that which the steep hill offered, came up,
barking and yelping. They were again harnessed to the sledges, and the
journey commenced once more.

This time it did not last more than an hour. It was along a level
stretch of ice, and soon they were in the midst of an Esquimaux village.

Huts of ice, with rounded tops, were on every side, with here and there
a tent made of seal skins stretched over poles. There were several
hundred inhabitants, who mingled with the members of the hunting party,
that included men, women and children, for, when the Esquimaux go for a
several days' stay after fish they take their families along.

"We seem to have struck camp at last," remarked the professor to Andy.
"I wonder what they are going to do with us now."

"The least they could do would be to untie us and give us a good meal,"
growled the old hunter, who was stiff from being bound so long on the
sled.

"Who said dinner?" broke in Washington from his sled. "I jest wish I had
a chicken pot-pie!"

"I'd willingly go without a meal if I was sure the airship was safe,"
sighed the professor.

At this mention of their craft all the adventurers became silent and a
feeling of sadness came over them. But they had little time to indulge
in gloomy thoughts.

As soon as the inhabitants of the camp had greeted the fishing party the
captives were surrounded by a group of curious ones, who followed the
chief, in his white furs, to where the prisoners' sleds had been drawn
up. The white men, who must have seemed strange beings to the Esquimaux,
were still fastened to the vehicles. At a word from the leader the bonds
were cut.

"I guess they want us to get up," said Jack.

He rose from his slei