Frank A. Warner

“ Sympathy for the stricken Takyak was mingled with a wild longing to be away from the cabin, to get by himself where he might think up plans for the great adventure before him and his chums.
He came out of his reverie to hear Takyak speaking again.
“You wonder why I tell you all this,” said the Eskimo, and Bobby nodded. “I have no family— I am alone. I like you and your friends,” Takyak went on. “And, besides, there is no one else on the ship that I trust. Garrish—you must never let Garrish know!” ”

“ We haven’t any way to defend ourselves, and Mooloo with his spears could kill us easily. There wouldn’t have to be any explaining. He’d simply say, if he said anything at all, that we’d been lost in a blizzard, and the Eskimos would grunt, and that’s all there’d be to it. He’d slip our bodies into the sea and they’d never be found.”
The boys shuddered at the thought.
“Do you think that Mooloo is that kind of a fellow?” asked Billy.
“Maybe he is and maybe he isn’t,” replied Bobby. “But many a bad man becomes a murderer at the sight of gold, and it won’t do to take any chances. ”

“ Before they had reached near enough to the ice for the throwing of a spear, the last seal had deserted its resting place, the huge drifting block of ice was empty.
“Zowie, that’s the time they got fooled!” cried Fred excitedly. “Old Mr. Seal sure gave them the slip!”
“Not yet!” cried Mouser excitedly. “Look! They’re looking for them in the water.”
“Not much chance,” said Bobby, wondering at the queer relief he felt. “Seals are mighty slow on land, but they make up for it in the water. Besides, I’ve read that they’re pretty fierce when they’re attacked in the water.” ”

“ They turned a corner and there before them were the white circus tents with a crowd already wandering about the grounds, the sideshows with the bearded lady, the snake-charmer, the ossified man, the human-pincushion, the fat woman, the midgets, the strong man and other freaks, the array of elephants trumpeting and tossing their trunks, the small boys carrying water for the animals and thus earning free admission to the show, the peanut and lemonade booths, all pervaded by the unforgettable, pungent smell inseparable from the city of tents. ”

“ Billy said in low, excited tones.
“If we find this Mooloo, we may,” said Mouser. “But by the time we reach his igloo he may have gone. You know what Kapje said, when an Eskimo gets tired of one place, he trots on a bit and makes a new snow palace.”
“Down with the gloom hound!” cried Fred, indignantly. “What’s the use of looking for trouble?”
“Kapje’s been mighty white to us,” said Bobby thoughtfully. “If we ever do find the treasure you can bet he and his family are going to be mighty glad of it.” ”

“ He would have spoken too, but Bobby raised his hand in a gesture of warning.
“The captain,” he whispered, and then proceeded to put as much of the deck between him and Billy as he could before the captain’s grim gaze fastened on him again.
“Well, it’s done,” thought Bobby. “The four of us will meet to-night for a council of war, even though it be the last one we’ll ever have.”
They must take a chance of discovery. They had come to a point where desperate measures were necessary if they were to escape at all. They could never hope to get anywhere unless they took a chance. ”

“ Bobby measured the distance between him and that rifle that lay so useless in the snow. If the bear withdrew only a little way, he would seize his chance, make a dash for the rifle, and shoot the ugly brute before it could reach him. ”

“ The woman motioned them inside, showing again her friendly grin.
“Put on fur,” she said. “An’ you never be cold again. Fur very warm—like fire.”
“Oh, boy!” cried Fred, as he hurriedly flung off his own clothing and stepped into the undergarment of fawn skin. “I’ll say this is the life. Some good old scout, our friend Kapje!”
“You bet he is!” exclaimed Bobby, warmly. “I only wish we had some way to pay him for all he is doing for us.”
“Oh, we’ll pay him all right,” cried Billy exuberantly. “When we get the treasure we’ll divide up fifty-fifty.” ”

“ Bobby reminded him. “As soon as he gets over raving about Takyak, he’ll begin to think of us and wonder if we know any more about the treasure than he does.”
“And when he does,” said Fred ruefully, “something tells me it will be all up with us.”
“The only thing we can do,” said Bobby hurriedly, for they could hear the heavy tramping of the sailors who were returning, “is to take a chance and start as soon after dark as we can. A few hours from now this old boat will be getting a little more unhealthy for us than it already is.” ”

“ How about you?” stammered Bobby. “Where will you go?”
The woman shrugged her fat shoulders as she wrapped herself in a heavy fur coat and pulled a seal hood down over her ears so that only her eyes and nose and mouth were visible.
“You no worry ’bout us,” she said comfortably. “We all right. We got other igloo—two or three. We no die in snow.”
And with another friendly grin she turned and left the snow house, followed by the two men, who merely grunted their good-byes.
“Well, I’ll be jiggered!” cried Fred explosively. “Who says the Eskimo is an unfriendly beggar, I’d like to know! ”

“ A shout arose that was instantly repressed for fear that Mooloo would hear.
“Bobby, that headpiece of yours is a wonder!” exclaimed Fred enthusiastically.
“It’s a dandy scheme,” chuckled Billy.
“It’ll sure put it over,” declared Mouser.
“Now, the first thing to do,” continued Bobby, “is to lug a lot of these books into the cabin where Mooloo’s sleeping. When he wakes up, we’ll show them to him and turn over the pages so that he’ll see they’re all there. Ten to one he won’t do more than grunt and think we’re dippy for taking any interest in such things. ”

“ If they only had some warm clothing! They had been given top coats from the ship’s locker, but they were far too big for them. Rushed as they had been with work on deck, they had not been so conscious of the bitter cold. But in an open boat, with nothing to shield them from the fierce winds, they might be frozen to death.
Bobby shivered and thought of the snug fur coats worn by the Eskimo members of the crew. That was the only thing that could keep out the biting cold of the Northland—fur, and plenty of it. ”

“ These and many other speculations occupied their minds in the endless hours that they spent in the moldy cellar, and it was with sensations of relief that they at last heard the key grate in the lock at the head of the stairs.
“Come up here one by one, you fellows, and be quick about it,” ordered the harsh voice of the leader of the bullies, and the boys had no choice but to obey.
Bobby was the first to ascend the stairs, and as he reached the top he was seized, a gag thrust into his mouth, and something smothering and muffling descended over his head. ”

“ As Billy had calculated, this secured the instant attention of the boys, for it was nearing the end of the term, pocket money was running low, and a dime—well, a dime was a dime.
“Let’s see it,” said Sparrow cautiously.
Billy promptly produced it.
“There it is,” he said. “Take a good look at it, for that’s the nearest any of you will ever get to it. You couldn’t guess this joke in twenty years let alone twenty seconds.”
“All right,” said Fred impatiently. “Go ahead! Shoot!”
Billy leaned forward impressively.
“What’s the quickest change of nationality on record?” he asked. ”

“ Once they got a man as far as third, but there he stayed for want of the necessary hit to bring him in.
Belden was equally unable to score. Bobby was pitching like a demon and his opponents were swinging at the air. Four out of the six who faced him in those two innings went out on strikes, while a foul and a pop fly disposed of the others.
In the eighth inning the skies began to brighten for Rockledge. Erlich, who had pitched good ball up to that time, began to weaken. His fast ones no longer had their usual zip to them, nor were his curves so deceptive. ”

“ As he turned to go Bobby tried to stop him, to thank him for all he had done for him and his chums, but Kapje would have none of it.
“You no thank me,” he said. “You save lives of Eskimo. Eskimo never forget. Goo’-by.”
The younger Eskimo grunted something that the boys took to be farewell, and in another moment father and son had disappeared.
A strange misgiving beset the boys. They hated to see these two natives, who had proved themselves so friendly, go. Here they were now, really at the mercy of the surly Mooloo. ”

“ We have no time to lose,” cried Takyak, when he had become a little calmer. “That captain, that Garrish, has ears in the back of his head—yes, and in the front too, as well as at the sides. Hark! What was that?”
There was intense silence in the cabin while they listened, holding their breath. No sound came, and Bobby finally tiptoed over to the door, opening it gently. ”

“ It will stop forever. That’s why I must hurry. Listen”—he leaned closer and Bobby was conscious of a thrill of excitement as the old man’s face became tense—“you must save the treasure from the wrecked ship. You must keep it from Captain Garrish.” He paused, smothered a groan as another spasm of pain swept him.
“The treasure?” repeated Bobby excitedly. “You want me to save the treasure. But how?”
“Hush, hush. Do not raise your voice. They will hear you.”
The Eskimo was in a panic of fear, and despite his wild excitement and curiosity Bobby did his best to quiet him. ”

“ Sheets laid down a clever bunt, on which by good running he reached first. Shiner followed with a daisy cutter between first and second that carried Sheets to third, though Shiner himself could get no further than the initial bag. The inning ended when Billy Bassett hit into a double play.
“That was an awful bonehead play of mine,” said Mouser regretfully, as he and Bobby walked out from the bench to take their places in the field.
“Don’t let it worry you, Mouser,” Bobby consoled him. “That was a whale of a three-bagger that you knocked out, anyway. Any one of us is liable to make a mistake.” ”

“ The younger Eskimo turned away and Kapje dropped his eyes to the ground as though sorely embarrassed.
“We think we see walrus,” he explained reluctantly. “We drop our guns—go look. When we turn back—see bear. Drop in snow—make believe dead. Fool bear—little while. Then you come. Lucky for fool Eskimo you come.”
With this last sentence the old fellow turned away as though the incident were definitely closed and followed his son down to the water where the latter was preparing to shove one of the canoes into the water. ”