The G.A. Henty MEGAPACK ®. G.a. Henty Henty
with clubs, to face them.
One was bending a bow, but a shot from Bob’s gun broke his arm.
Jack also fired, and the aborigines, all save one, took to flight, jumping into one of the canoes.
This brave chief, for such he looked, wielding a heavy club with both hands, rushed at our hero.
Bob threw up his gun to parry the blow.
The weapon was struck from his hand, but the blow fell harmless.
Before the tall savage could regain his balance Bob bounded on him, clasping him round the body.
But if our hero was strong, the native was stronger.
Dropping his club, he seized his adversary’s throat, and, forcing back his head, made him relinquish his hold.
Then, seizing him round the waist, he flung him at the captain, whom he upset, at the same instant springing into the sea and swimming after his companions.
The whole affair did not last a minute.
Jack, who had reloaded, fired upon the overcrowded canoe.
Two paddles fell into the water and drifted away.
No sooner did they clamber on board than they were saluted with a score of spears, which stuck in the masts and deck, one passing through the fleshy part of a sailor’s arm.
“Here, man, go below and bathe it in brandy,” cried the captain. “Drink some, too. The rest of you get under shelter of the bulwarks.
“I have heard that these fellows poison their spears and arrowheads,” he continued to our hero.
“Will they come back, do you think?” questioned Bob.
“Perhaps—we must remain on guard.”
The next few hours were very anxious ones on board of the Dart.
CHAPTER XII
Bob’s Discovery
Night came, and the hostile natives showed no sign of returning.
A strict watch was kept until morning, but nothing out of the ordinary happened.
In the meantime Captain Sumner and Bob examined the map with great care and also read and reread the papers Ruel Gross had left behind him.
“Let us go on another tour of exploration,” said the captain, on the following day. “If those natives come back Bok can fire a gun to warn us.”
The boy readily agreed and they set off without delay.
Once under the dead cedar tree they looked around them curiously.
A short distance further inland they saw a hollow, which had evidently at one time been a camp.
Tin cans were strewn around, along with a number of fish and animal bones.
“I wonder if father and Ruel Gross once encamped here?” thought Bob.
Hardly had the idea occurred to him than Captain Sumner set up a shout.
He was pointing to a post set up in the ice. To the top of the post was attached a rude sign, which read:
“To the Svlachkys’ Camp—One Mile.”
“Hurrah! here’s a discovery!” cried Bob. “Shall we go on?”
“Yes; but let us advance with extreme caution. These Svlachkys may be very bad people.”
“Undoubtedly there are, or they wouldn’t keep my father a prisoner,” rejoined Bob.
“That signpost must be the work of Ruel Gross,” went on the captain. “The savages haven’t dared to touch it, thinking there was something supernatural attached to it—something to injure them.”
On went the captain and Bob, down one hill of ice and up another. It was extremely cold, but neither minded that.
At last they reached a portion of the island that was very uneven. Great chasms yawned to the right and left of them. It was with difficulty that they pushed forward.
But they were bound to go on, and go they did, until at the mouth of what looked like a cave of ice the captain called a halt.
“Listen!” he whispered. “I hear voices.”
Bob listened. Captain Sumner was right. From the cavern came the sounds of several human tongues.
“They are not speaking Russian,” said the captain. “Perhaps we have stumbled upon more savages.”
Hardly had he spoken when three human beings came into view.
They were bundled up in furs, in strong contrast to the other natives, who had scarcely any body-covering.
The new-comers were jabbering among themselves at a great rate. Presently they came to a halt before a large slab of ice.
They tugged and pounded on this until the slab fell to one side, revealing a strange-looking opening.
“What are they up to now?” whispered Bob.
“I don’t know—wait.”
They waited. Presently the three men disappeared within the opening. Soon a smoke came out, and they saw that firebrands had been lit to light up the scene.
“That may be the place where the stone chest is kept,” said Bob.
“More likely it is a burial place,” replied Captain Sumner. “I’ve seen such spots before. Maybe they’re preparing for a funeral.”
“Can’t we get a little closer to them?”
“It would not be safe. Hark!”
From a distance they heard the mournful toot of a large horn.
“That’s a funeral horn, I’m sure,” said the captain. “If they are coming this way we had better—Hullo! look!”
The captain pointed to an opening to their left.
A band of men were advancing.
They were guarding a prisoner—a white man, who walked in their midst.
Bob gave the white man one swift look, and then shrieked out at the top of his voice:
“It’s my father!”
CHAPTER XIII
The Big Polar Bear
“Your father!” cried Captain Sumner.
“Yes, my father,” repeated Bob, in high excitement. “What shall we do?”
He felt like rushing forward, but the captain restrained him.
“We can do nothing against such a force of men,” he said. “Wait—or—” He hesitated.
“What?”
“You or I might go back to the Dart for help. Every man on board can come heavily armed. When these people see our number they may be willing to talk reasonably to us.”
“That’s so, but I hate to leave,” returned Bob. “They may do some harm to my father in the meantime.”
“Then I will go, Bob. But mind, keep shady, unless they do something very bad.”
Bob promised, and without delay Captain Sumner started on the return to the Dart.
With a wildly beating heart Bob watched the people who held his father a captive.
They were marching along silently now and did not stop until the center of the cave of ice was reached.
Here the party assembled in a circle at a point where there was a slight elevation.
Two of the men had axes, and with these they began to chop at the elevation, causing the pieces of ice to fly in all directions.
“Now