CHAPTER XVII

FIGHTING FOR THE SHIP

“Professor Henderson!  Wake up!” called Andy.  “Hey, boys, Bill, Tom, Washington!  This may mean something!”

In an instant the prisoners were sitting up, and blinking in the direction of the big lamp.

“What is it all about?” asked Amos Henderson.

“As near as I can make out this lady is going to save us,” replied the hunter.  “She says the natives want to kill us, and that she likes the English, though how she can talk United States is more than I can understand.”

Dirola, as the Esquimaux woman had called herself, approached the old inventor, and, kneeling down in front of him, spoke rapidly in her broken tongue.

“Me save you!” she repeated.  “Me Dirola!  Me from way, way off,” and she pointed to the north.  “Me been prisoner here long time.  Me see white Ingliss man once.  He come my country.  He go way.  My people want kill him, no like.  He be take away.  His name Andre!”

“Great Scott!” exclaimed the professor.  “I believe this woman was acquainted with the poor fellow whose bones we found!  Can it be possible!”

“You come; me save!” went on the strange woman.  “Me no like it here; want go to my people.  Me learn spik Ingliss from Andre.  Me young girl then!”

“Well, of all the strange happenings!” exclaimed the inventor.  “I believe she is telling the truth.  Probably poor Andre Christiansen got among her people and she learned a little English from him.”

“You come?” questioned Dirola.  “Me show you where ship hid.”

“I wonder if it’s safe to trust her,” said the old hunter.  “According to the message we found, the people Andre fell among were not very kind.”

The woman seemed to understand that some objection was being raised.  She spoke rapidly and earnestly.

“My people no harm,” she said.  “Me tell ’um you save me, they no kill you.  You come.  Much hurry now.  You be killed here!”

“I think we might as well chance it,” was Professor Henderson’s opinion.  “Perhaps she does know where the ship is from hearing talk among members of the fishing party that captured us.  What do you say?  Shall we go?”

Every one agreed that it would be better than to stay in the cave and face an unknown danger.  So, wrapping their furs closely about them, the captives rose silently and prepared to follow the woman, who seemed pleased that they were going.  She did not lead them out the way they had been brought in, but by a smaller entrance.

“Go easy!” she cautioned.  “No want bad mans to hear!  They kill Dirola!”

Walking like cats in their soft boots of fur, the prisoners followed the strange woman who had so opportunely come to their rescue.  Though they were very apprehensive, they met with no one.  Leaving the glare of the big lamp behind, they were soon in semi-darkness, but in a little while they emerged into the bright sunlight.