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At all events, although they looked at it, they went on with their mooing and rolling about, quite regardless of it, until Oolalik sent his harpoon deep into the side of one of the cows. Then indeed there was tremendous roaring and confusion, as the whole herd tumbled off the ice raft into the sea.
The Indian shook his head. "Men do not start off alone on a journey to nowhere," he replied. "The big canoe must have been crushed in the ice, and the men must have started off together to search for Eskimos. I think they must all have died on the way, and this one walked farthest." "The man-of-the-woods is wise," said Oolalik. "If we follow the track we shall soon find out."
I have much of their goods in my own wigwam, and Cheenbuk knows that I can guide him to the home of the trader on the great fresh lake." Oolalik glanced at Nootka while the Indian spoke, as if he felt that a splendid prospect of decorative, ornamental, and other delights was opening up to her.
Cheenbuk and Oolalik drew their knives, Nazinred cocked his gun, Anteek grasped a rolling-pin that lay handy, and all four sprang to the rescue. The scream came from Cowlik. She had suddenly faced a mirror that hung in the cabin, and beheld a perfect representation of her own fat face.
Just then a young man was seen advancing from the beach, where he had left his kayak. "It is Oolalik," said Mrs Mangivik, shading her eyes with her hand from the sun, which, in all the strength of its meridian splendour, was shining full on her fat face. "He must have made a good hunt, or he would not have come home before the others."
So saying he began to move as if in a funeral procession, closely followed by Cheenbuk, Oolalik, and old Mangivik. As they reached the head of the staircase something like an explosion occurred, for the deck was partially burst up by the heat. The three Eskimos, who did not think their dignity affected by haste, leaped down the stair in two bounds, but Nazinred did not alter his walk in the least.
Of course the fair Nootka was beside them, for was not Oolalik one of the players? She would have scorned the insinuation that that was the reason. Nevertheless there is reason to believe that that had something to do with her presence. Our friend Adolay, however, was not there.
But he stopped short at the door of the hut and looked at Oolalik in evident surprise. "You are back before me?" he said. "That is not strange: I am stronger." "Yes, but I started off long before you." "So you thought, but you were mistaken. I saw you creeping away round the point. When you were out of sight I carried my kayak over the neck of land, and so got here before you."
A shot from the fire-spouter followed; the ball entered the same eye, reached the brain, and the young bull sank to rise no more. The Indian reloaded as fast as he could, but not in time for another charge from the old bull, which Oolalik met with a stab in the side that again turned him off bellowing.
Being very agile, he made a step swiftly to one side, and the handle came down on the skull of a walrus which hung on the wall, with a violence that would have surprised its original owner had it been within. Before the blow could be repeated Oolalik sprang towards his assailant. Eskimos know nothing of a blow "straight from the shoulder," but they know how to cuff.
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