til we had obtained a sledge; and now, as I
have told you, it was already half loaded.

"But we might have saved ourselves all this trouble, as you will soon
see.

"While in the very midst of our packing, we were suddenly startled by a
loud noise. Looking up from our work, and turning in the direction
whence the sound proceeded, there, to our horror and dismay, were the
very savages we had been for so long a time expecting. They were just
rounding a point of the island, and were nearing us at a rapid pace.

"We soon discovered them to be five in number, each riding upon a
sledge, drawn by wild and fierce-looking dogs, that made a great outcry
as soon as they saw us, as did also the savages on the sledges.

"'At last,' thought I, 'our time has come. We shall be murdered now for
certain, and then be given to the dogs for food.'

"'Oh!' exclaimed the Dean, 'if our poor mothers only knew where we
were!'

"Dangerous as appeared to be our situation, I could still not help
asking the Dean whether he did not think it would be quite as much to
the purpose if we only knew where we were ourselves,--to which, however,
he made no reply, for the savages were almost upon us. Seizing our
weapons, we prepared to defend ourselves, since there was no use trying
to run away, as the dogs would be atop of us before we could reach the
hut.

"But there was not the least use of our being so much alarmed, for the
savages soon convinced us that they meant no harm. They would not let
their dogs come near us, but kept them off, and, stopping, tied them
fast. Then, without any weapons in their hands, they came up to us in a
most friendly manner, all _yeh-yeh_-ing at a wonderful rate. So we took
the five of them right off up to the hut, and now our fears were turned
into rejoicing and our sorrow into joy. One of them was Eatum, and they
all proved to be just as singular-looking people, and were as curious
about us and about everything we had as Eatum had been. Their faces were
on a broad grin all the while.

"Having learned something of their language from Eatum, as I told you
before, we contrived to make them understand, with the aid of a great
many signs, how the ship had been wrecked, and how we got first to the
ice and then to the land,--for this they were most curious about,--and
they were greatly puzzled to know how we came to be there at all. After
this they treated us quite affectionately, patting us on the back, and
exclaiming, _Ty