FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   129   130   131   132   133   134   135   136   137   138   139   140   141   142   143   144   145   146   147   148   149   150   151   152   153  
154   155   156   157   158   159   160   161   162   163   164   165   166   167   168   169   170   171   172   173   174   175   176   177   178   >>   >|  
ch tended to evoke feelings of awe rather than amusement. "I don't like to trouble your father too much, Adolay," whispered Cheenbuk; "would you say to him that we wish very much to see him use the spouter?" Nazinred was an amiable man. He at once consented, and went back to the hut for his gun, which, remembering the tendency of the boys to meddle, he had kept close beside him all night. Loading it inside, he re-appeared with it ready. Taking up a lump of ice about the size of one's hand, he set it up on a hummock, and retired to a distance of about thirty yards. "Tell them all to keep back, out of the way of that, Cheenbuk," said Nazinred. The excitement and nervous expectation of the Eskimos had been worked up considerably by these preparations, so that they not only retired to a safe distance, but some of them even took refuge behind the igloes, and all held their breath while their guest took aim. He had loaded with shot, and when the explosion took place the piece of ice vanished, having been blown to atoms. Of course a yell of admiration greeted the result, and all the dogs of the tribe fled on the wings--or paws--of terror, while Attim sat quietly looking on with somewhat of his master's dignity. But the curiosity of the Eskimos was only whetted by this. They immediately began to clamour for explanations, so that the Indian found himself at last obliged to undertake a lecture on gunnery, as far as he understood it. "My father," said Cheenbuk, whose respect for the Indian was rapidly deepening, "some of my people want to know if you can kill bears with the spouter." "Yes, it will kill bears. I killed a white one not long before you found me." "And will it kill the walrus too?" "Yes; it will kill the walrus. It kills anything that has life." There was an expression of great astonishment at this. Some even ventured to doubt it. Then there was a noisy consultation for a few minutes, after which Cheenbuk was told to ask if their guest would go with them then and there to hunt for a walrus. "Oh yes;" the Indian was quite ready to go, whereupon the men scattered to harness the dogs and make preparation for an immediate hunt. "Go and get my sledge ready," said Cheenbuk to Anteek. The boy was only too glad to obey, for the mission implied that he should have a place on the sledge along with the Fire-spouter. In a very short time several sledges were ready. Nazinred seated hi
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   129   130   131   132   133   134   135   136   137   138   139   140   141   142   143   144   145   146   147   148   149   150   151   152   153  
154   155   156   157   158   159   160   161   162   163   164   165   166   167   168   169   170   171   172   173   174   175   176   177   178   >>   >|  



Top keywords:
Cheenbuk
 

Nazinred

 

walrus

 
spouter
 

Indian

 

distance

 

retired

 

Eskimos

 

sledge

 

father


deepening

 
people
 

implied

 
killed
 
mission
 

rapidly

 

explanations

 

seated

 

clamour

 

whetted


immediately

 

obliged

 

understood

 

gunnery

 

undertake

 
sledges
 

lecture

 

respect

 

scattered

 

curiosity


ventured

 

harness

 
consultation
 

minutes

 

preparation

 

Anteek

 

expression

 

astonishment

 

meddle

 

tendency


remembering
 
Loading
 

inside

 

hummock

 

thirty

 
appeared
 

Taking

 
consented
 
amusement
 

tended