CHAPTER SIXTEEN.
THE REBELLION OF THE WORM AND THE FALL OF THE WIZARD.
The event which had so suddenly interrupted the singing duel was amatter of secret satisfaction to Ujarak, for he felt that he was nomatch for Okiok, and although he had intended to fight the battle out tothe best of his ability, he knew that his ultimate defeat was soprobable that its abrupt termination before that event was a piece ofgreat good-fortune.
Still, his position was unsatisfactory, for, in addition to the factthat his credit as a genuine angekok had been sadly shaken because ofIppegoo's failure, he was well aware that the combat which had beeninterrupted was only postponed. What was to be done in thecircumstances became, therefore, the urgent question of the hour. Ingreat perplexity he sought out his poor victim Ippegoo--with somethingof the feeling, no doubt, that induces a drowning man to clutch at astraw--and silently walked with him to a secluded spot near theneighbouring cliffs.
"Ippegoo," he said, turning round abruptly; "it is certain that you willnever be an angekok."
"I don't want to be one," returned the simpleton quietly.
The wizard looked at him in surprise.
"What do you mean?" he asked sharply.
"I mean that if the torngak you were going to get for me is no betterthan your own, he is a fool, and I would rather not have him."
This unexpected rebellion of the worm which he had so often twistedround his finger was too much for Ujarak in his then irasciblecondition. He flew into a violent rage, grasped the handle of hisknife, and glared fiercely at his pupil.
Ippegoo returned the look with a quiet smile.
This was perplexing. There are few things more trying to passionate menthan uncertainty as to how their bursts of anger will be received. As arule such men are merely actors. No doubt their rage may be genuine,but the manner in which they will display their anger depends very muchon who are their witnesses, and what their opponents. Rage which fumesat some trifling insult, and tears off the coat, resolved on fighting,when a timid wife seeks to soothe, is likely to assume a very differentappearance and follow some other course of action when a prize-fighterpulls the nose, and invites it to "do its worst."
If Ippegoo had winced, or stood on the defensive, or stepped back, orshown the slightest sign of fear, it is probable that the strong andlawless man would have stabbed him to the heart in the first impulse ofhis anger, for the poor youth was well acquainted with all his secretsand most of his bad intentions. But the motionless figure and thesmiling face not only surprised--it alarmed--Ujarak. It seemed sounnatural. What powers of sudden onslaught might not lie hidden withinthat calm exterior? what dynamitic capacities of swift explosion mightnot underlie that fearless expression?
"Ippegoo," he said, stifling his anger with a painful effort, "are yougoing to turn against your best friend?"
"My mother is my best friend," answered the youth stoutly.
"You are right; I made a mistake."
"Why does your torngak let you make so many mistakes?"
Again a rush of anger prompted the wizard to sacrifice his quondampupil, and once more the youth's imperturbable coolness overawed him.Bad as he was, Ujarak could not kill a smiling victim.
"Ippegoo," said the wizard, suddenly changing his tone, and becomingintensely earnest, "I see what is the matter. Angut and the Kablunethave bewitched you. But now, I tell my torngak to enter into yourheart, and unbewitch you. Now, do you not feel that he has done it?"
The youth, still smiling, shook his head.
"I knew it," continued the wizard, purposely misunderstanding the sign."You are all right again. Once more I lay my commands on you. Listen.I want you to go at once and tell Nunaga that _Angut_ wants to see heralone."
"Who?" asked Ippegoo in surprise.
"Angut."
"What! your rival?"
"Yes; my rival. My torngak tells me that Angut wants to meet her--alone, mind--out on the floes at Puffin Island this afternoon."
"Are--are you sure your torngak has made no mistake?" asked the youth,with something of his old hesitancy.
"Quite sure," replied Ujarak sternly. "Now, will you give her mymessage?"
"Angut's message, you mean."
"Yes, yes; I mean Angut's message," said the wizard impatiently."You'll be _sure_ to do what I tell you, won't you?"
"Quite sure," replied Ippegoo, the smile again overspreading his visageas he turned and quitted the spot.
Half an hour later he entered Okiok's hut in quest of Nunaga, but onlyher mother was there. She told him that the girl had gone off with asledge along the coast to Moss Bay to fetch a load of moss to stuffbetween the logs of the hut where they required repairing, and that shehad taken Kabelaw as well as Tumbler and Pussi with her.
"That's good," said Ippegoo, "then she can't and won't go to PuffinIsland. I said I would tell her that Angut wants to meet her therealone."
"Who told you to tell her that?" asked Nuna.
"A fool," answered Ippegoo, promptly.
"He must indeed have been a fool," returned Nuna, "for Angut has justbeen helping Nunaga to harness the dogs, and he is now with my husbandin his own hut."
This information caused the messenger to shut his eyes, open his mouth,and laugh silently, with evident enjoyment.
"I intended to deliver my message," he said, on recovering composure,"for I promised to do so; and I also meant to tell Nunaga that themessage was a _big lie_."
At this amazing depth of slyness on his part, Ippegoo fell into anotherhearty though inaudible laugh, after which he went off to communicatehis news to Okiok and Angut, but these worthies having gone out to visitsome snares and traps, no one knew whither, he was obliged to seekcounsel of Simek.
On hearing of the plot that seemed to be hatching, that jovial hunter atonce ordered his sledge to be got ready, and started off, with twostalwart sons and his nephew Arbalik, for Moss Bay, to warn Nunaga ofher enemy's intentions, and to fetch her home. But alas! for even thebest laid of human plans.
It so happened that one of the Eskimo youths, who was rather inclined totease Nunaga, had set a snow-trap for Arctic foxes about two miles fromthe village. As the spot was not much out of the way, the girl resolvedto turn aside and visit the trap, take out the fox, if one chanced to becaught, and in any case set the trap off, or put a bit of stick into itby way of fun. The spot chanced to be only a short distance beyond theplace where the wizard had met Ippegoo, but the sea-shore there was socovered with hummocks of ice that Nunaga had approached without beingobserved by either the wizard or the pupil. It was not more than a fewminutes after Ippegoo had left on his errand to herself that she camesuddenly in sight of Ujarak. He was seated, as if in contemplation, ona rock at the base of the cliff.
Suspecting no evil, Nunaga stopped her team of dogs. It was herfather's best team, consisting of the swiftest and most enduring animalsin the village. The wizard observed this as he rose up and approached,rejoicing to think that Fortune had favoured him. And truly Fortune--orrather, God--was indeed favouring the wicked man at that time, thoughnot in the way that he imagined.
In a few moments Ujarak's plans were laid. The opportunity was too goodto be lost.
"Where goes Nunaga to-day?" he asked quietly, on reaching the sledge.
"To Moss Bay," answered Nunaga.
"Has Nunaga forgotten the road?" asked Ujarak, with a slight look ofsurprise. "This is not the way to Moss Bay."
"It is not far out of the way," said Kabelaw, who was the moreself-assertive of the two lying sisters; "we go to visit a trap, andhave no time to waste with _you_."
As she spoke she seized the heavy Eskimo whip out of Nunaga's hand, andbrought it smartly down on the backs of the whole team, which startedoff with a yelp, and also with a bound that well-nigh left Tumbler andPussi behind. But she was not quick enough for Ujarak, who exclaimedwith a laugh, as he leaped on to the sledge and assumed the place ofdriver--
"I too am fond of trapping, and will go
with you."
He took the whip from Kabelaw, and guided the team.
A few minutes, at the speed they were going, brought them close to apoint or cape which, in the form of a frowning cliff two or threehundred feet high, jutted out into the sea. To round this, and placethe great cape between them and the village, was Ujarak's aim. The icewas comparatively smooth and unbroken close to the land.
"See!" exclaimed Nunaga, pointing towards the bushes on shore; "the trapis there. That is the place."
Ujarak paid no heed to her. The die was cast. He had taken the firststep, and must now go through with it at all hazards. Plying the cruelwhip, so as to make the dogs run at their utmost speed, he drove onuntil the other side of the cape was gained. Then he relaxed the speeda little, for he knew that no shriek, however loud, could penetrate thecliffs that lay between him and the Eskimo village.
Taking up a walrus-line with a running noose on it that lay on thesledge beside him, the wizard turned, dropped the noose suddenly overKabelaw, and drew it tight, so as to pin her arms to her sides. Almostbefore she could realise what had occurred, he took a quick turn of thesame line round Nunaga, drew the girls together, and fastened them tothe sledge. They knew now full well, but too late, that Ujarak meantmischief. Screaming at the utmost pitch of their voices, they struggledto free themselves, but were too well secured for that.
The wizard now glanced at the children. For a few moments he wasperplexed. They could be of no use on a long journey, and might betroublesome--besides, they would have to be fed. There was one sure andeasy method of getting rid of them. He grasped his knife-handle.
The women observed the movement, and became instantly silent withhorror.
But the bold free air of Tumbler and the soft innocent look of Pussiwere too much for the wizard. He abandoned the half-formed thought,and, turning to the women, said in a low, stern voice--
"If you cry or struggle again, these shall die."
This was enough. The poor creatures remained perfectly silent and stillafter that, while the wizard guided the dogs out upon the floes on atotally different route from that which led to Moss Bay.
Coming to a place where the ice had been cut up into many tracks by theEskimos' sledges during the winter work of traffic to and from thehunting-grounds, Ujarak availed himself of the opportunity to lose, asit were, his own track among the others, so that, in the sure event ofpursuit, the pursuers might be effectually baffled. The only point hehad to consider after that was the necessity of diverging from the trackwith such care that the point of divergence should be impossible tofind.
In this he was again favoured by circumstances. Having driven at fullspeed straight out from the land in a westerly direction, he came to aplace where the ice had been considerably broken up, so that the oldtracks ended abruptly in many places where lanes of water had opened up.A sharp frost had set these lanes and open spaces fast again, and thenew ice was just strong enough to bear a sledge. There was some risk inventuring on it, but what of that? Nothing bold can be successfullycarried out in this world without more or less of risk! At a spot wherethe confusion of tracks was very great, he turned at a sharp angle, gotupon a sheet of new ice, and went off at greater speed than ever towardsthe far-south.
His aim was to travel some hundreds of miles, till he reached theKablunet settlements on the south-western shores of Greenland, in regardto which, various and strange reports had reached the northern Eskimosfrom time to time. He said nothing, however, to his captives, but afterdriving some twenty miles or so--which he did in a couple of hours--hecast off their bonds, and bade them make themselves comfortable. Thepoor creatures were only too glad to avail themselves of the permission,for, although spring had set in, and the cold was not very severe, theirconstrained position had benumbed their limbs.
Tumbler and Pussi, after gazing for a considerable time at each other ina state of blank amazement at the whole proceedings, had finally droppedoff to sleep on a pile of deerskins. Nunaga and Kabelaw, wrappingthemselves in two of these, leaned against each other and conversed inlow whispers.
And now the wizard began in good earnest a journey, which was destinedto lead him, in more ways than one, far beyond the point at which heoriginally aimed.
He plied the whip with vigour, for well did he know that it was a racefor life. If any of the men of his tribe should overtake him, he feltassured that death would be his portion.
The dogs, as we have said, were splendid animals. There were ten ofthem, resembling wolves both in size and appearance, each being fastenedto the sledge by a single independent line. The vehicle itself wasOkiok's hunting-sledge, having spears, bow and arrows, lines, bladders,etcetera, attached to it, so that, although there were no provisions onit except one small seal, which its owner had probably thought was notworth removing, the wizard knew that he possessed all the requisites forprocuring a supply. The women, being also well aware of this, werefilled with anxiety, for their one hope of rescue lay in their friendsdiscovering their flight and engaging in instant and hot pursuit.
Never since the commencement of his career had Ujarak displayed suchanxiety to increase the distance between himself and his tribe. Neversince that long-lashed, short-handled, heavy whip was made, had it givenforth such a rapid series of pistol-like reports, and never since theywere pups had those ten lanky wolfish dogs stretched out their long legsand scampered over the Arctic sea as they did on that occasion. The oldice was still sufficiently firm and smooth to afford a good road, andthe new ice was fortunately strong enough to bear, for the pace wastremendous. With "the world before him where to choose," and death, ashe imagined, on the track behind, the wizard's spirit had risen to thepoint of "neck or nothing." Mile after mile was passed at highest speedand in perfect silence, except when broken by the crack of whip and yelpof dogs. Occasional roughnesses in the way were crashed over. Smallobstructions were taken in flying leaps, which rendered it necessary forthe poor women to cling to each other, to the sledge, and to thechildren, to prevent their being hurled off. Once or twice a hummockwhich it seemed possible to leap turned out to be too high, and obligedthe driver to turn aside with such violence that the sledge went for afew seconds on one runner, and all but turned over. This at lastinduced some degree of caution, for to break the vehicle at thebeginning of the journey would have been almost certainly fatal to theenterprise.
And oh! how earnestly Nunaga longed for a spill! In her despair, poorthing, it did not occur to her that at such a pace an upset might breakthe necks of the whole party.
Towards sunset they rounded a high cape, beyond which was a deep andwide bay. On this the sun shone apparently on what appeared to be openwater. For one moment a look of alarm flitted over the wizard's face,as he glanced quickly shoreward to see whether the ground-ice waspassable; but it was only for a moment, for immediately he perceivedthat the light had dazzled and deceived him. It was not water, but newice--smooth and refulgent as a mirror. The fringe of old ice on shorewas disrupted and impassable. There was therefore only one course opento him.
Knitting his brows and clenching his teeth, Ujarak resolved to take itat all hazards. Bringing the cruel lash to bear with extreme violence,he sent the dogs howling out upon the glassy surface. At first theyslipped and sprawled a good deal, but soon gathered themselves welltogether. They were accustomed to such work, and the friction of thesledge being reduced, they skimmed along with ease.
Although strong enough to bear, the ice undulated terribly as they sweptover it, and sent forth rending sounds, which cannot be conceived bythose whose experience of young ice has been derived chiefly fromlakelets and ponds. Dogs in such circumstances are apt to becometerrified and to stop, in which case immersion is almost certain. ButUjarak gave his team no time to think. With lash and voice he urgedthem on until they were nearly frantic. The undulations became greateras they advanced, and the rending sounds continuous. Still the wizardplied his whip and shouted. Indeed it was his only chance. At t
heother side of the bay the old ice still adhered to the shore. If thatcould be reached, they would be safe. Eagerly the women strained theireyes, and even stretched out their hands as if to grasp the shore, forthe fear of instant death had banished all other thoughts. A fewminutes more, and Ujarak, standing up in his eagerness, flourishing thegreat whip, and shouting at the pitch of his voice, drove the yellingdogs off the crackling sheet of ice to a place of safety on the solidfloe.
It did not require the wizard's altered tone to inform the sagaciousanimals that the danger was past. Down they flopped at once to rest,panting vehemently, and with tongues out; but they were not permitted torest long, Ujarak's fear of pursuit was so great. Even while securingon the sledge the articles that had been disarranged, he could not helpcasting frequent suspicious glances in the direction from which they hadcome, for guilt is ever ready to anticipate retribution even when it isfar distant. As soon as the fastenings were arranged he prepared tocontinue the flight.
"Where do you take us to?" asked Kabelaw, in a tone of humility whichwas very foreign to her nature.
"You shall know that in time," was the stern reply.
Nunaga was too much frightened to speak, but little Tumbler was not.
"Bad--bad man!" he exclaimed, with a fierce look that caused the wizardfor a moment to smile grimly.
Little Pussi was so horrified at the reckless presumption of the remark,that she hid her face in Nunaga's lap and did not venture to look up forsome time.
Getting on the sledge without another word, the wizard gave a hint tothe dogs which was so unmistakable that they sprang up and resumed theirjourney at full gallop. Slowly the sun went down, and sea and berg andsnow-clad cliff grew grey in the light of departing day. Still thepanting team sped on over the frozen sea. Soon it became too dark totravel with safety. The pace was slackened. The run became a canter,then a trot, and then a walk. At last the driver stopped, jumped offthe sledge, and ordered the women to get out the seal and feed the dogs.He also gave them permission to help themselves, but as there was nolamp or fire, it was evident that he meant them to eat their supper raw.
Leaving them while thus engaged, he walked away out of sight.
"I won't have raw seal," said Tumbler, in that tone of petulant resolvewhich tells of spoilt-childism.
"An' me won't too," said Pussi, profiting by example.
"But there's nothing else," said Nunaga, gently.
"Yes, there is. I have got some cold seal in my boots--from thismorning's breakfast," said Kabelaw, extracting a goodly-sized morsel; "Inever go on a journey, however short, without a bit of cooked meat."
Lest the reader should be perplexed here, we may explain that someEskimo ladies often make the wide tops of their long sealskin boots doduty for pockets.
The party was still engaged in discussing the delicacy referred to, andcommenting in pitiable tones on their situation, when Ujarak returned,bade them resume their places, jumped on the sledge, and continued toadvance. In half an hour the moon rose in a clear sky. The stars shonebrightly, and to add to the beauty of the scene, the aurora borealisplayed and shot about vividly overhead, enabling them to resume a rapidgallop.
It was not till the night was far advanced, and his dogs were nearlyworn-out, and full sixty miles lay between him and his native village,that Ujarak felt himself to be comparatively safe, and halted for aprolonged rest.
Without a word, he made for himself a shelter with a bear-skin under alow bush, devoured a lump of raw seal's flesh, and then went to sleep,leaving the women to look after themselves, the dogs, and the children,as best they might. Fortunately, they were well able to do so, and,being very weary, were not long in doing it. While they went about thework, however, they could not help remarking the unusually morose andsurly manner of their master, and expressed the opinion that he wasalready troubled with that mental complaint to which we give the name ofremorse.
And they were right. Bad as the wizard was, he had hitherto kept withinthe bounds of Eskimo propriety; but now at last he had overstepped thosebounds and become a criminal--an outlaw. By one hasty act he had cut,for ever, the cords which had united him to his kindred.
Red Rooney: The Last of the Crew Page 16