“Ay, ay, sir,” Was the prompt reply, as the heavy whip fell on the flanks of the leaders.

A few minutes brought them up with Awatok’s sledge, and Captain Guy, leaping upon it with a clasp-knife in his hand, cut the traces in a twinkling, set the dogs free, and turning round, seized the Esquimau by the collar.  The big chief at first showed a disposition to resent this unceremonious treatment, but before he could move Grim seized his elbows in his iron grasp, and tied them adroitly together behind his back with a cord.  At the same time poor Aninga and her baby were swiftly transferred to the sailors’ sledge.

Seeing this, the whole band of natives turned back and rushed in a body to the rescue, flourishing their lances and yelling fiercely.

“Form line!” shouted the captain, handing Awatok and Aninga over to the care of O’Riley.  “Three of you on the right fire over their heads, and let the rest reserve their fire.  I will kill one of their dogs, for it won’t do to let them fancy that nothing but noise comes out of our muskets.  Ready—­present!”

A rattling volley followed, and at the same moment one of the dogs fell with a death-yell on the ice, and dyed it with its blood.

“Forward!” shouted the captain.

The men advanced in a body at a smart run; but the terrified Esquimaux, who had never heard the report of fire-arms before, did not wait for them.  They turned and fled precipitately, but not before Grim captured Oosuck, and dragged him forcibly to the rear, where he was pinioned and placed on the sledge with the others.

“Now, then, lads, that will do; get upon the sledge again.  Away with you, Meetuck.—­Look after Awatok, Grim; O’Riley will see that Aninga does not jump off.”

“That he will, darlint,” said the Irishman, patting the woman on the back.

“And I shall look after the baby,” said Fred, chucking that series of dumplings under the chin—­an act of familiarity that seemed to afford it immense satisfaction, for, notwithstanding the melancholy position of its father and mother as prisoners, it smiled on Fred benignly.

In five minutes the party were far on their way back to the ship, and in less than five hours after the Esquimaux had closed their barter and left for their village, four of their number, including the baby, were close prisoners in the Dolphin’s hold.  It was not Captain Guy’s intention, however, to use unnecessarily harsh means for the recovery of the missing articles.  His object was to impress the Esquimaux with a salutary sense of the power, promptitude, and courage of Europeans, and to check at the outset their propensity for thieving.  Having succeeded in making two of their chief men prisoners, he felt assured that the lost telescope and hatchet would soon make their appearance; and in this he was not mistaken.  Going to the hold where the prisoners sat with downcast looks, he addressed to them a lengthened