The next instant Dirola, with a motion so quick the eye could scarcely follow, slipped off her suit of black fur, and stood revealed in dress of white fur, the exact counterpart of that worn by all the others in the cave.

A low murmur of astonishment ran around the vast cavern.  Then, as if by common impulse, every one kneeled down, Dirola alone of all the Esquimaux remaining upright.  The cave dwellers were bowing down to one they either feared or loved.

Then Dirola spoke.  At first her words were slow.  Gradually she talked faster, until she was speaking a very torrent of sounds.  She pointed, first to the insensible body of the old inventor at her feet, next to the group of white men and boys, and then to Andy and Washington.  She gave some command, evidently, for no sooner had she ceased than those who had attacked Mark, Jack and the two farmers drew back, and left them free.

At the same time, those surrounding Andy and the negro withdrew.  Then some warm furs were thrown over the cold body of the professor and he was borne gently away.

Dirola glided to where Andy stood, not knowing what to make of it all.

“No be feared now,” she said.  “They take ole man way an’ warm him an’ feed him.  He be all right.  So you be all right, an’ boys an’ oder mans.  No be feared now.  Them do what I tell ’um!” and she motioned to the natives, who had risen to their feet as soon as she left the ice altar.

“How in the world did you do it?” asked the old hunter.

“Me chief one—­what you call ’um—­queen here.  Long time go.  Me be take prisoner when you found me.  Me come back.  Me glad.  No let Ingliss mans an’ boys be hurt, nor ’um black man too.  Me save.  Me be queen agin!”

“How does that strike you?” went on Andy, to Mark and Jack, who had joined him.  “The luckiest thing we ever did was to pick up Dirola.”

“To think we should land right among her own people, too!” spoke up Jack.  “It’s just like a fairy story.”

“But where in the world did you come from?” asked Andy.  “We thought you were all killed by falling from the ship.”

“Not a bit,” replied Jack, and he told the old hunter what had happened to himself, Mark and the others.  In turn Andy related his experiences.

“If only the poor professor comes around all right we’ll be in pretty good shape,” finished the old man.  “But I’m afraid he’s frozen.  I wonder what they were going to do with him.”

“Put him in big hole, where all ice,” broke in Dirola.  “That what we do when the lights shine.  But we no hurt any you now.  You all safe.  Me save!”

“I guess that was their intention,” muttered Andy.  “They were going to sacrifice him to the Goddess of Ice, I suppose.  Well, well, we certainly are having plenty of experiences.”

Many of the natives had now left the cave.  Dirola gave an order to one of the big Esquimaux who had remained, and he went off on the run.