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The weather continued fine; the days were long; islets for camping-places were numerous, and in process of time the party reached the mouth of the Whale otherwise Greygoose River, which they began to ascend. "Oh!" exclaimed Adolay, with glistening eyes, as she looked from bank to bank; "I know it so well almost every bush and tree." "And you love it?" said Nootka.
Thus when the belligerent party of Eskimos arrived at the mouth of Greygoose, or Whale, River, they found the place, as they had been accustomed to find it, a complete solitude. At first they expected to overtake their comrade Cheenbuk there, but he was not found, having gone a considerable way inland in pursuit of game.
Promptly both canoes were put about, and the shore was regained with amazing speed. After that the Dogribs paddled quietly up the Greygoose River, and meekly returned to their woodland home. It was with feelings of profound thankfulness and relief that Adolay landed on the first of the islets, and surveyed the chaotic though beautiful floes from which they had escaped.
Nazinred puffed a voluminous cloud from his lips and two streaming cloudlets from his nose ere he replied. "When my son," he said, "was on the banks of the Greygoose River his voice was not so deep!" Cheenbuk burst into a laugh and threw back his hood. "You know me, then, you man-of-the-woods," said he, holding out his hand in the white trader fashion which the other had taught him.
When Magadar and his comrades arrived at the mouth of the Greygoose River and beheld the aspect of the sea, a cry of mingled surprise and disappointment escaped them, but when they had landed and discovered the canoe of the fugitives far away like a speck among the ice-floes, the cry was transmuted into a howl of rage. "Quick! embark! Let us after them!" shouted Magadar.
Greygoose River was the name given to it by the Dogrib Indians who dwelt in its neighbourhood, and who were wont, every spring and autumn, to descend its waters nearly to the sea in quest of game. The Eskimos, who, coming from the mysterious north, were in the habit of ascending it a short way during open water in pursuit of their peculiar prey, named it Whale River.
Without another word the Eskimo pushed off the head of the canoe, which was caught by the current and swept down-stream. Ere long they reached the Greygoose River, and, paddling into the centre of the current, were soon careering towards the sea at a pace which they thought rendered their being overtaken almost impossible.
"But, my son, if we do not find them it will not matter much, for the white traders of the woods have plenty of the hard stuff, and all other things also, and when we return to the Greygoose River at the opening of the waters, we may take the teeth of the walrus and the skins of the seal and begin a trade with them.
After him came Cheenbuk, who said that he was much gratified by the speeches of Mozwa and Nazinred; that from the latter he had learned his first lesson of good-feeling towards the men-of-the-woods, on the day when he strove with him on the banks of the Greygoose River; that his second lesson was taught him by Adolay a lesson that he would never forget and could never repay, for she had not only saved his life but made him happy.
Although Nazinred was considerably altered by fatigue and suffering, the Eskimo entertained not the smallest doubt that he was the same Indian with whom he had once struggled on the banks of the Whale, or Greygoose, River.
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