hin the square drew two characters to represent
persons. He next drew, between the two circles, many irregular
figures. In the midst of this mass of irregular figures he drew a
character for a person.
He made a motion with his hand to indicate that the irregular figures
between the circles were in motion. Next he made a motion with his
charcoal pencil to indicate that the lone person was moving across the
irregular figures between the circles. This motion was halting, as if
the person, many times, stumbled and fell. The course of the charcoal
at last reached the edge of the square, and there it drew the reclining
figure of a person.
Lucile had watched every move intently.
"Do you see what he is telling us?" she cried excitedly. "It is the
old native way of telling stories by drawings. He has said, by the two
circles, that there are two islands, one large, one small. On the
large one are many people--his people--on the small one, a house--the
house we are in. Between the two islands there is floeing ice. A
figure is attempting to cross the ice. He is that one. He falls many
times, but at last reaches the island and this house."
"And," said Marian, "probably the people, many of them, live on this
island. They were probably over there when the ice came. They did not
dare to attempt to cross. When the floe is steady and solid, as it
will be after this storm, then they will cross. And then--" she paused.
"Yes, and then?" said Lucile, huskily.
With the setting of the sun, the wind fell. The snow-fog drifted away
and the moon came out. Lucile crept out of the cabin and went in
search of some new form of food. She found the spare-ribs of a seal
hanging over a pole on one of the caches. It seemed fairly fresh, and
when a piece was set simmering over the seal-oil lamp it gave forth an
appetizing odor.
The two girls stood by the window as the food cooked. They were
looking out over the sea, which was now a solid mass of ice.
"I almost believe I can catch the faint outline of that other island,"
said Lucile.
"Yes, I think you can," said Marian. "But what was that?" She gripped
her companion's arm.
"What?" said Lucile.
"I--thought--yes, there it is; out there to the right. Some dark
object moving among the ice-cakes."
"Yes, now I see it. And there's another and another. Yes, perhaps
twenty or more. What can they be?"
"Men--and--dogs," said Marian, slowly. "The tribe is coming
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