Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-10-13

sleeve. And / should, in justice. add that
he had lapseS of the same geniality which
won us to him in Nome. OF the E,skimos
he merely grunted, They'll be back
x
And one day they did come back Said
Jawbone, wistfully, at a. negotiating dis
lance:
ketcll-um tobacco
You ketch-um meat returned the
captain.
Feathers Joined the plea.
'Ketchum tobacco?" he repeated, en-
gagingly.
You ketch-um meat" snapped the cap
tain
He fitted them out with a few car
tridges for their rifle and everything else
they needed except tobacco. He kept that
locked in secret drawer in his cabin.
The Eskimos went off, and in day or
two appeared with all the bear and seal
they could carry.
Jawbone happy with his pipe again,
grew voluble about his previous absence.
"Cap'n.'' he pointed off to the north
then dropped his hand even with his
shoulders, little fellers,''
whats that?' exclaimed the captain
''Ya-ya," chuckled the Eskimo. meas
uring out from his shoulder again, lit
tie fellerS.'
The captains interest was aroused. He
jabbered in Eskimo a while with Feath-
we'll as with Jawbone, and then he
began TO wake things up. He made us
get out the SledS, and on learning the
probable distance ahead of us strapped
on fair amount of rations. Then he
started to lead the sleds in earnest.
&
Out of the galley, the cabin and the
hold he ordered us to bring every bat
noticed before that he had never let one
of these be thrown overheard. We stack
ed them as high as they would so on the
sleds, and then piled above them all the
played-out pots, kettles and pans the ship
could provide.
When we were ready for the journey
the captain handed us out a supply of
cartridges. But" he commanded en-
phatically. don't under any circum-
stances fire a gun unless 1t is absolutely
necessary He repeated this several
times to the Eskimos, both in English
and i'm their own lingo.
The captain didn't invite the engi-
neer to CO. and that officer took as
little notice as he could of the proceed,
with frozen feet, and one or two had
to remain with him and take care of the
ship. So he selected Davis. Detroit.
Mitch, the Lid, and me, with Feathers,
morning, and crossing the copper island
struck north over the ice fields.
In speaking of Summers frozen feet
| want to mention redeeming feature
tain's wife. She was only a poor, UNI
civilized Eskimo, but she tried, in a
simple, intuitive way, to act as mother
to us all. She helped nurse us when
we were sick, and always mended our
clothes SO that the insidious cold could
not slip through and freeze up a leg or
a finger. Among all the savage crcum-
stances of that voyage L have still
to remember the captains wife as a
genuine ray of kindness
X X
We forged on for several DAYS. and
as we continued on the level ice we did
not seem to be approaching possible
ha bitations. One afternoon, however,
Jawbonc, who was marching out ahead
stopped in his tracks AS We drew up
he raised his hand with Il warning
''Sh-sh- sh,"'
We came to a halt and followed the
direction of his arm. The captain raised
intent Then he handed the glass to me.
On reering through it beheld the strang-
est figure of a man l ever saw or heard
described.
When I looked second time he
wasn't there. | could not see where he
went, but he simply wasn't there. The
captain told us to stop and make our
camp. and advanced no further.
Again | had occasion to admire his
of primitive human nature,
for the next morning when we crawled
Of those quaint beings lurked in the
gazing steadfastly at our
AS we came out they receded swiftly.
But they waited a little further away.
and we, upon the captains orders, did
not move from the hut, more little
creatures and others yet dotted the north
ern horizon. We remained apparently
OhliviOuS
For all that day group. now larger
and now smaller, fingered in the offing.
and gingerly closing up the
space intervening. But by nightfall they
had not yet drawn so near that we could
scrutinize them carefully without the
glass. Once we were startled when a
ew arrows dropped at our feet. But
he points had been distracted if
hey were playing with us.
On the second morning the captain
oOk his first steps to WOO them. He
tent Feathers and Jawbone forth to
ry the Eskimo arts of acquaintance.
The five or six who appeared to be then