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Updated: June 26, 2025
"What's this?" she exclaimed. A brown object lay some distance ahead of them. With bated breaths they crept cautiously forward; it might be a white bear or walrus. Suddenly Marian threw up her head and laughed. "It's only a kiak. Some Eskimo has left it on the ice and the floe has carried it away." "May be a valuable find. Let's hurry," exclaimed Lucile.
"The ice must be piling close to shore," said Lucile, "but we must try it. It's our only chance." After a hasty breakfast of tea and a last remaining bit of cold duck, they piled all their supplies and equipment into the kiak, then, bidding farewell to the humble ice-pan which had given them such a long ride, they began dragging the kiak toward the island.
An expression of amazement spread over his face. "Jumpin' Jupiter!" he muttered beneath his breath. He beat a hasty retreat. Once in his kiak he made double time back to the wreck. Marian was the first to awaken in the cabin. By the dull light that shone through the cracks, she could tell that it was growing dark. Springing from her bunk, she put her hand to the latch.
They were chilled through and sleep was impossible. "Lucile," said Marian at last, "I believe we could set the kiak up and bank it solidly into place, then creep into it and sleep there." "We might," said Lucile doubtfully.
When the girls joined Phi on the edge of the ice-floe, they looked about for the guide but saw none. Only Rover barked them a welcome. "Where's the guide?" asked Lucile. "You'll see. C'm'on," said the boy, leading the way. For a mile they traveled over the solid shore-ice. They then came to a stretch of water, dark as midnight. At the edge of this was a two-seated kiak.
Phi motioned Lucile to a seat. Deftly, he paddled her across to the other side. It was with a sinking feeling that she felt herself silently carried toward the north by the gigantic ice-floe. Marian and the dog were quickly ferried over. Then, after drawing the kiak upon the ice, the boy turned directly north and began walking rapidly. At times he broke into a run.
He sent a last look toward the huge body, then turned his kiak toward the watchers on the banks. "If it only comes to shore," said Kalitan. "What will you do with it?" asked Ted. "Oh, there are lots of things we can do with a whale," said Kalitan. "The blubber is the best thing to eat in all the world. Then we use the oil In a bowl with a bit of pith in it to light our huts.
"Tyee much big chief," said Kalitan, and just then the old man's kiak drew near them, and he stepped ashore as calmly as though he had not just been through so exciting a scene with a mighty monster of the deep. Swift and even were the strokes of the paddles as the canoes sped over the water toward Kalitan's Island home.
The old chief was launching his kiak into the seething waters, and to Ted it seemed incredible that he meant to go in that frail bark in pursuit of the mighty monster. The old man's face, however, was as calm as though starting on a pleasure-trip in peaceful waters, and Ted watched in breathless admiration to see what would happen next.
Breaking into a run, they soon reached its side. "Let's explore it!" whispered Marian. "You take the forecastle and I'll take the after-cabin," she laughed, as she thrust her arm into the open space toward the stern of the kiak. "Why, there is something there!" she exclaimed.
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