et it
along the water."

"Let's try it," said Kit.

The howitzer was pushed across to the starboard side.

"Remember that there's a pretty heavy charge in there now," said Wade.
"Better send that over their heads!"

The gun was accordingly elevated to near thirty degrees. Raed then
touched it off. The Esquimaux, of course, heard the report; but I
doubt if they saw or heard any thing of the ball. It doubtless went a
thousand feet over their heads; and just then, too, the _kayaks_ and
_oomiaks_ came up where they were standing, and a great hubbub was
occasioned by their arrival.

"Try 'em again!" exclaimed Donovan.

"Give them a skipping shot this time," said Wade.

A light charge of powder was then put in, with a ball, as before. The
gun was not elevated this time; indeed, I believe Raed depressed it a
few degrees. We watched with a great deal of curiosity, if nothing more,
while Kit lighted a splint and touched the priming. A sharp, light
report; and, a second later, the ball struck on the water off four or
five hundred yards, and ricochetted,--skip--skip--skip--skip--_spat_
into the loose shingle on the beach, making the small stones and gravel
fly in all directions. The Huskies jumped away lively. Very likely the
pebbles flew with some considerable violence. But in a moment they were
swarming about the _kayaks_ again, uttering loud cries. With the
reenforcement they had just received, they numbered full a hundred or a
hundred and fifty men. Should they make a determined effort to board us,
we might have our hands full, or at least have to shoot a score or two
of the poor ignorant wretches; which seemed a pitiable alternative.

"Load again!" cried Wade. "Let me try a shot!"

About the same quantity of powder was used as before. Wade did not
depress the muzzle, if I recollect aright, at all. Consequently, on
firing, the ball did not touch the water till near the shore, when it
skipped once, and bounded to the beach, going among a whole pack of
the howling dogs. A dreadful "_Ti-yi_" came wafted to our ears. One,
at least, had been hit. With a glass we could see him writhing and
jumping about. At this some of the crowd ran off up the ledges for
several rods, and stood gazing anxiously off toward the schooner.

"Give 'em another!" exclaimed the captain.

But, while we were loading, twenty or thirty got into their _kayaks_;
and, one of the _oomiaks_ had eight or ten in it ere Wade was ready to
give them a thir