They had already caught sight of us:  so we judged it better to advance, after looking to our arms.  We were met by a toen (the same that had cut up the pork) and a chief of taller stature and pleasanter features than we had hitherto happened on in the country.  It now appeared that the previous silence of these people had been deliberate:  for the toen at once began to talk in a language fairly intelligible to Obed.  He proposed to supply us with boats to cross the river, if we would give up our muskets in payment.  This, of course, we refused:  but offered him the whole collection of beads and trinkets that we had brought with us in the hope of trafficking for food.  After some haggling—­to which the handsome chief, Yootramaki, listened with seeming disdain—­the toen undertook to let us have the boats; and presently one appeared, paddled by three naked savages.  As this would barely hold a dozen passengers, we begged for another, that we might all cross together.  The toen complied, and sent a second, but much smaller boat.  In these we allowed ourselves to be distributed—­Obed and I with ten others in the larger, and Margit with five seamen in the smaller.

The boats pushed out into the stream, the larger leading.  The current ran deep and swift:  and when, about half-way across, the nearest savage ceased paddling, I supposed he did so that the others on the starboard side might more easily bring the bows round to it.  Before one could guess his true intention he had stooped and whipped out a plug from the boat’s bottom, at the same time calling to his comrades, who leapt up and flung themselves overboard.  The next moment he was after them, and the whole party swimming to shore.  The current swept us down and carried us so near to a spit of the shore we had left, that the savages, who now pelted us with arrows, succeeded in killing one seaman, and wounding four others:  but here most fortunately it set right across for the opposite bank, where we contrived to land just as our boat sank beneath us.  Those in the smaller boat, however, fell into our enemy’s hands, who clubbed the five seamen on the head, sparing only Margit; and then, supposing our muskets to be wet and useless, crossed over in a canoe to attack us.

But as Providence would have it, we had four muskets left dry—­they being slung round us in bandoliers—­and the greater part of our powder unspoiled.  We met the foe with a volley which disposed of three and sank the canoe.  The survivors swam for it, and I dare say reached shore.  A second canoe put off, and from the bows of it the rascally toen (cause of all this misfortune, as we deemed) hailed Obed and offered to let us go in peace and even restore Margit if we would surrender our firearms.

I think the coldest heart must have pitied my poor brother then.  He paced the bank like a mad creature, silent, directing the most agonised looks at his comrades and at me in particular.  We turned our faces aside; for his wishes were madness, yet we were asking him to sacrifice what was dearest to him in the world.  In his distraction then he tore off most of his clothes, and piling them in a heap besought the toen to take them for the ransom; and we too stripped and stood all but naked, adding our prayers to his.  But the scoundrel, without regard of our offering, spoke to his men, and was paddled away.