ring round him. Among them was his lieutenant Ondikik.

"You also are wounded," said Gartok, observing the pallor of his face.

"Yes; I can find no arrow, but there is blood."

"Is it bad?" asked the chief, with an angry exclamation at their
misfortune.

"I cannot tell," replied Ondikik, "but--"

He finished the sentence in the most expressive manner by fainting dead
away, and falling over to one side so heavily that he would have
infallibly upset the little craft if his comrades had not been close at
hand to prevent that catastrophe.

"Hail the oomiak!" cried Gartok, in a voice that, for him, felt
singularly feeble. "Put him into it, and let two of the women change
with two of the men."

In a few minutes the women's large open boat was alongside, and poor
Ondikik was, with some difficulty, transferred to it. Two men then gave
up their kayaks to two of the women, and took their places in the
oomiak. While this was being done some of the people gave a shout of
alarm, for it was observed that Gartok himself had quietly fallen back
in a state of insensibility.

The men, therefore, lifted him also out of his kayak and laid him beside
his lieutenant.

This accomplished, the little fleet paddled out to sea, and they soon
lost sight of the Arctic shore. They did not again pause until they
reached a group of small islets, on one of which they encamped for the
night.

Fortunately the weather at this time was calm and warm, so that those
hardy inhabitants of the icy north required no better lodging or bed
than the cold ground, with the star-spangled sky for curtains. With
lamps flaring, seal-steaks and wild-fowl simmering, and hot oil flowing,
they quickly made themselves comfortable--with the exception, of course,
of the warlike Gartok and the hot-headed Ondikik. These two, being
fellow-sufferers, were laid beside each other, in order, perhaps, to
facilitate mutual condolence. To do them justice, they did not grumble
much at their fate, but entertained each other with a running commentary
on the events of the day.

"And that is strange news that my old mother tells me," resumed Gartok,
after a short pause in the conversation. "Cheenbuk must have given the
Fire-spouters sore heads from the way he gripped them."

"I wish I had been there," growled Ondikik.

"I'm glad I was _not_ there," returned Gartok. "I could not have saved
him from so many, and it would not have been pleasant to go into
slavery--if n