bbit from its burrow, and stand up with a look
of blazing interrogation on his huge countenance.

The cry had been uttered by his bosom friend and former playmate
Oolichuk, who came running towards him with frantic gesticulations.

"The Kablunets!" he gasped, "the white-faces have come!--on a floating
island!--alive!--smoking!--it is all true!"

"Where?" demanded our giant, whose face blazed up at once.

"There!" cried Oolichuk, pointing seaward towards the ice-hummocks with
both hands, and glaring up at his friend.

Without another word Chingatok ran off in the direction pointed out,
followed hotly by his friend.

Oolichuk was a large and powerful man, but, his legs were remarkably
short. His pace, compared with that of Chingatok, was as that of a
sparrow to an ostrich. Nevertheless he kept up, for he was agile and
vigorous.

"Have you seen them--have you spoken?" asked the giant, abruptly.

"Yes, all the tribe was there."

"No one killed?"

"No, but terribly frightened; they made me run home to fetch you."

Chingatok increased his speed. So did Oolichuk.

While they run, let us leap a little ahead of them, reader, and see what
had caused all the excitement.

The whole party had gone off that morning, with the exception of
Chingatok and his mother, to spear seals in a neighbouring bay, where
these animals had been discovered in great numbers. Dogs and sledges
had been taken, because a successful hunt was expected, and the ice was
sufficiently firm.

The bay was very large. At its distant southern extremity there rose a
great promontory which jutted far out into the sea. While the men were
busy there making preparations to begin the hunt, Oblooria, Chingatok's
little sister, amused herself by mounting a hummock of ice about thirty
feet high.

When there, she chanced to look towards the promontory. Instantly she
opened her eyes and mouth and uttered a squeal that brought her friends
running to her side.

Oolichuk was the first to reach her. He had no need to ask questions.
Oblooria's gaze directed his, and there, coming round the promontory, he
beheld an object which had never before filled his wondering eyes. It
was, apparently, a monstrous creature with a dark body and towering
wings, and a black thing in its middle, from which were vomited volumes
of smoke.

"Kablunets! white men!" he yelled.

"Kablunets!--huk! huk!" echoed the whole tribe, as they scrambled up the
ice-hill one after a