“They must be going to sacrifice that poor man on the altar,” spoke Jack.  “Come, let’s see if we can’t crawl out of the way.”

The head of the procession was now close to the altar, and had passed the adventurers, who were off to one side, in about the middle of the cavern.  Up some ice steps the two giants in white went, bearing their victim.  The poor fellow gave one loud shriek as he was brought nearer to the colored flames.

“Oh!  Oh!  Oh!” screamed Dirola, sinking down on the floor of the cavern.

CHAPTER XXIII

A STRANGE SACRIFICE

The natives who had made Professor Henderson, Andy, and Washington prisoners seemed at a loss for some little time as to which direction to take.  They talked among themselves, while the prisoners were much alarmed, for if the Esquimaux were lost, and without food, it would mean the death of all.

At last, however, the native in charge of the main sled prevailed on the others, and they proceeded, turning off to the left.

The sleds, including that on which the prisoners were, bumped along over the ice, the dogs pulling the rude vehicles along swiftly.  It was about an hour later that another halt was made.  This time it did not seem to be because the way was lost, for the natives showed no signs of alarm.  Instead, they were laughing and talking.  In a little while the small advance party was joined by a larger body of Esquimaux, who had been at the attack on the airship, but who had taken a different route.

Then the whole crowd started forward again.  Half an hour’s travel brought another halt, this time a final one, for when the professor and his companions glanced around them they found they were in the midst of a native village of ice huts.

“Golly!  We’s somewhere, anyhow,” spoke Washington; “but I can’t say I thinks much ob dis place.  It’s too lonesome.”

“Better be here than out on the ice field,” spoke up the professor.  “The Esquimaux have little stone stoves in which they burn oil, and their huts are quite warm inside.”

In a few minutes the captives had a chance to test this statement.  They were unbound and carried from the sled to one of the larger huts.  As is usual in the far northern regions, each hut was made of blocks of ice laid one on the other, forming a semicircular house, with a round dome.

The door or entrance was so small that the only way to get in was to crawl.  There was no door to keep the cold out, but the passage was made a winding one, or there were two huts, one built over the other, so that the openings did not come opposite, and this served to keep out the wind.

Arriving at the doorway, the Esquimaux set their prisoners down in front of the house, and signed to them to crawl in.  The professor went first, followed by Andy and Washington.  Inside they found the place to be warm from the flame of a crude stove.  This consisted of a hollowed out stone, filled with seal oil, the wick being made of moss.  The stove, or lamp, for it served both purposes, smoked very much.