sed us about a mile to the eastward, and, approaching
the shore of the large island, was luffed up to the wind handsomely.
More than a dozen dogs leaped out, and went splashing to the shore.
The men landed from the _kayaks_, and, wading out into the water, laid
hold of the _oomiak_, and, guiding it in on the swell, carried it up
high and dry. Several of the children had jumped out with the dogs.
The women, old folks, and younger children, now followed. The shore
fairly swarmed. We could hear them shouting, screaming, and jabbering,
and the dogs barking. Guard looked off and growled slightly, turning
his great dark eyes inquiringly to our faces.

"He don't like the looks of them," said Donovan: "remembers the fuss
he had with them when they chased Palmleaf and him."

"They seem to be preparing to stop there, I should say," Kit remarked.
"They've pulled up the _oomiak_ some way from the water, out of reach
of the tide, and are unloading it. There are quantities of skins,
tents, harpoons, &c. There! they are all starting up from the water,
loaded down with trumpery,--going off from the shore toward the middle
of the island."

They had not seen us; and, after watching them disappear among the
barren hillocks, we went back to our camp for dinner. Unless they came
along to the extreme western end of the large island, they would not
discover our camp. At first, we decided to have nothing to do with
them. We had nothing in the "_chymo_" line except Wade's broken
bayonet. They would only be a nuisance with us.

"But, if we could contrive to make them catch seals for us for fuel,
it might be worth while to cultivate their acquaintance a little," Kit
suggested.

"If we could get a seal a day from them for our fire, it might be a
good plan enough," Wade thought.

"But we've nothing to pay them with; unless we paid them in promises
of iron and knives when our _ship comes back_," I said. "I don't
suppose our greenbacks would be a legal tender with them."

"But, in case 'The Curlew' should _not_ come back, we might not be
able to redeem our promises," Raed remarked.

"In that case," said Kit, "we might as well marry all their daughters,
and take up our abode here. As their sons-in-law, we could perhaps
excuse it to them."

"Possibly the daughters might object to this arrangement," said Wade.

"Why, you don't doubt your ability to win the affections of a Husky
belle, do you?" demanded Kit, laughing.

"I doubt if our accom