The Frozen Crew Of The Ice-Bound Ship; Or, Terrors Of The Arctic Region — page 43: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

THE FROZEN CREW AND ICE-BOUND SHIP. 35 ment of the child of nature, while a rude tomahawk and knife were his principal weapons of defence. - Each man carried a bow and a quiver of poisoned arrows, the same being a substitute for the modern military rifle not in vogue at the period of our story. When the scout who moved in front perceived the pirates watching with astonishmen this gesticu- lations, he raised 2 cry, and the chief at the excla- mation drew his companions in a body to the spot upon which he was standing, . A deep and solemn silence succeeded his exhor- tation, in the native tongue of the tribe, and the eyes of each warrior were riveted on the pale faces th y had encountered. d Although secretly amazed at the facts betrayed in the speech of the chief, the Indians were permitted to ask no questions, and reserved all inquiry for a more suitable moment. A(ter a short consultation, totally unintelligible to the pirates who regarded them with a strict scrutiny, the younger Indians were observed to be halted over a group of females who accompanied them, while the older ones, sullen and thoughtful, approached the strangers whose demeanour betrayed them to be more hostile than amicably affected. While the above incidents had taken place Rotaldo, returning from the ship was made aware that strange footsteps had been discovered in a neighbouring ice pass, and dark objects apparently moving in a mass had been descried in the far horizon. } On the return of the scouts whom he had sent out he was able at once to report to his crew as follows— | “My lads,” he said, ‘*from yonder promontory ‘a tribe of Indians have been discovered advancing. Let each be prepared for the worst if they intend mischief, and show them the difference between the stone headed arrow they use and the leaden ‘bullet with which we kill.” . “if they are kindly disposed?” “ Accept their friendship,” added the Spaniard, “and treat them courteously.’’ , | ‘<“T)o ‘you think they are Esquimaux, captain?” -asked Black Bill, gazing intently in bis front. _ “T expect they are red-skins; doubtless come to hunt the seals in their frigid lairs.” “ Mayhap they haye a craving for other fish, and “it is as well not always to allow the sea bird to follow -the gift of its natural appetite.” “~~ «We shall soon learn if they mean us well,” replied Rotaldo. “ Keep them from the infernal tire-water, ‘and let none provoke a quarrel; if our intercourse is favourable, we may glean information that may here- _a(ter be useful to us.” ~ J'Jl take your hint, captain,” said Black Bill, _**but if they show any signs of mutiny I shall be the first to advocate a sheer off.’’ “©The Indians are advancing; draw up the crew to receive them.” _. “My eyes! we’ll give them a-salute!” said the pirate. ‘Stand by, my hearties. As I hope to sail in salt water again, if there ain’t some she-thing _among them, I think that will be a treat on these _here cold———” ' ‘Haye you so soon forgotten?” interrupted the ‘Spaniard. . “Jtis so long since I caught the sight of a petti- coat, that its appearance in this lattitude has shoved _all orders out of this battered hull of mine. But there, I meant no harm.” We shall not pause to detail the meeting between _-the pirates and the natives, who by a few. brief and hurried actions, explained the state of things to tie , Satisfaction of both parties. ceeded alike matters of conjecture. ‘‘They made demonstrations of peace by holding up their hands, rubbing their noses, and laying down their spears. The seamen in their turn showing amity, by a cor- dial grasp of the hand, but with such warmth that the Indians shrank again under the hearty saluta- tion. “T understand by your gestures,’ said Rotaldo, “that we do not meet as foes, and you would assure us of your goodly feelir.g.’’ * You say truly,’ said a voice. | “ Ah! you speak Iinglish,” rejoined the Spaniard, surprised to hear that language uttered by an un- tutored savage. “T have travelled in the country washed by the great waters.’’ “Your dress, differing from the rest of the tribe would induce me to suppose that you hold some dignity.” ‘Tam Manitto, its chief.” ‘‘From whence do you come?”’ inquired Jtotaldo. “From the big land on the other side of the Salt Lake.” “* Your purpose here?” ‘For food to nourish, and for furs to clothe us.’ * You have tracked the Copper-mine river ?” “Its white foam we have seen, and in the canoe have braved the terrors of the falls; we have tracked it till its soft pure stream mingled .and was lost in the dark blue waste of waters.” ‘* Have you, iu your excursions, encountered men of our complexion? ? asked Lotaldo, of Manitto. “ No,”'he replied; ‘‘ never till this moment saw we forms and faces such as you wear in these climes.” “ Then our victims have perished, doubtless, in the waves, and thus mitigated their un!appy fortunes,” muttered the Spaniard, pondering on the probable fate of Paul Jones and his companions. “ Are you, like us, then,” suid the Indian, “ come to hunt the cunning seal, or trap the wary otter? Do you build wigwams, and sleep on the smooth skin of the rein-deer ?” ‘‘No; we are cast away on this coast, and our ves- sel, and not the snow hut, affords us temporary shelter.” “Can you follow the fierce white bear and beard him in his den? Dare you encounter the bold alba- tross, and strike the pointed lance into his rough and dingy carease? ‘This is what I and my tribe make play of. “ And this you must do,’’ continued Manitto, “ or beneath this dreary vault which canopies us, you will tall into that cold, long sleep, from which you will never wake but to mingle with the spirits of your fathers.”’ ‘‘ Why, that old chap spins as good a yarn as our chaplain on board the Bellerophon used to do when he’d got a double allowance of grog in him,” said De'il Rob to Hal Harpoon, who, like Rotaldo, was surprised to find the chief speak English in place of his own lingo. “ As we have met as friends,” said the Spaniard, ‘*why do you keep your females hence, and guard them with oriental strictness ?” “ That’s right, captain,” rejoined Black Bill; “ let us have a peep at the women folk.’’ “You shall see them,” said Manitto, giving a signal. Then a deep, low sound was heard like the accom- paniment of distant music, and yet so indistinctly as to leave its character and the place whence it pro- To this the women advanced with a slow and regu- lar step, chanting as they proceeded a soft low song, as a welcome to the strangers. They look right uns,” said Black Bill. ‘I don’t a aaa To. | COMME OO sOMMUGwaooksTecoimn