ils,
and went off to sea.

The villains having thus easily slain their victims, carried off the
booty found in the boat, and hid it in the bushes, to be taken away at a
convenient opportunity.

But this deed of darkness was not done unwitnessed. Early in the
morning of that day, various hunting parties had dispersed in different
directions--some to the hills, others to the sea. Among the latter was
an oomiak full of women who went along-shore to fish, and with whom were
old Kannoa, Nunaga, and others. They went in a northerly direction.
Rooney, Angut, and Okiok proceeded along the coast to the southward.

The direction taken by these last brought them near to the spot where
the Dutch sailors had landed, at the critical moment when the robbers
were mingling with their unsuspecting victims.

Although only three to thirty, it is certain that our heroes would have
sprung to the aid of the sailors if they had suspected what was about to
happen, but the deed was done so promptly that there was no time for
action. Fortunately Rooney and his companions had not shown themselves.
They were therefore able to draw back into the shelter of the bushes,
where they held a hasty council of war.

"We must run back to camp," said Rooney, "tell what we have seen, and
return with a band of men to punish the murderers."

"Agreed," said Okiok; "but how are we to do it? The shore is open. We
cannot take a step that way without being seen, and chased. We might
outrun them, though I don't feel quite as supple as I used to; but we
should barely arrive before them in time to warn the camp, and should
then be almost unfit to fight."

To this Angut replied that they could go inland over the hills, and so
come down on the camp in rear. It might not, he thought, add much to
the distance. This plan was quickly adopted and put in practice.

But there are few things more deceptive than formation and distance in
mountain lands. What seemed to the trio easy, proved to be tremendously
difficult; and the distance they had to travel in order to avoid
precipices and surmount ridges, gradually increased to many miles, so
that it was late, and twilight was deepening into night, before they
reached the camp.

Meanwhile the robbers were not idle. Although ignorant of the fact that
their bloody work had been observed, they were not long ignorant of the
near neighbourhood of the Eskimo camp. Early in the morning they had
sent two of their swif