The Giant of the North: Pokings Round the Pole Part 35

"You always thwart me, Teyma," said Grabantak, trying to suppress a burst of wrath, which he was well aware his fearless minister did not mind in the least. "It is true this island is not worth the shake of a puffin's tail; but if we allow the Poloe men to take it--"

"To keep it," mildly suggested Teyma, "they have long had it."

"Well, to keep it, if you will," continued the chief testily; "will not other tribes say that the old name of the Flatlanders is dead, that the war-spirit is gone, that they may come and attack us when they please; for we cannot defend our property, and they will try to make us slaves?

What! shall Flatlanders become slaves? no never, never, _never_!" cried Grabantak, furiously, though unconsciously quoting the chorus of a well-known song.

"No, _never_," re-echoed Teyma with an emphatic nod, "yet there are many steps between fighting for a useless rock, and being made slaves."

"Well then," cried Grabantak, replying to the first part of his lieutenant's remark and ignoring the second, "we must fight to prove our courage. As to losing many of our best men, of course we cannot help that. Then we must kill, burn, and destroy right and left in Poloeland, to prove our power. After that we will show the greatness of our forbearance by letting our enemies alone. Perhaps we may even condescend to ask them to become our friends. What an honour that would be to them, and, doubtless, what a joy!"

"Grabantak," said Teyma with a look and tone of solemnity which invariably overawed his chief, and made him uncomfortable, "you have lived a good many years now. Did you ever make a friend of an enemy by beating him?"

"Of course not," said the other with a gesture of impatience.

"Grabantak, you had a father."

"Yes," said the chief, with solemn respect.

"And _he_ had a father."

"True."

"And he, too, had a father."

"Well, I suppose he had."

"Of course he had. All fathers have had fathers back and back into the mysterious Longtime. If not, where did our tales and stories come from?

There are many stories told by fathers to sons, and fathers to sons, till they have all come down to us, and what do these stories teach us?

that all fighting is bad, except what _must_ be. Even what _must_ be is bad--only, it is better than some things that are worse. Loss of life, loss of country, loss of freedom to hunt, and eat, and sleep, are worse.

We must fight for these--but to fight for a bare rock, for a name, for a coast, for a fancy, it is foolish! and when you have got your rock, and recovered your name, and pleased your fancy, do the brave young men that are dead return? Do the maidens that weep rejoice? Do the mothers that pine revive? Of what use have been all the wars of Flatland from Longtime till now? Can you restore the mountain-heaps of kayaks, and oomiaks, and spears, and walrus-lines, from the smoke into which they vanished! Can you recall the great rivers of whale-oil from the sea into which they have been poured, or the blood of men from the earth that swallowed it? Is not war _always_ loss, loss, loss, and _never_ gain? Why cannot we live at peace with those who will, and fight only with those who insist on war."

"Go, Teyma, stop your mouth with blubber," said the chief, rising; "I am weary of you. I tell you, Amalatok shall die; Puiroe shall be mine.

The tribes shall all learn to tremble at the name of Grabantak and to respect the men of Flatland."

"Ay, and to love them too, I suppose," added Teyma with a facetious sneer.

"Boo!" replied his chief, bringing the conversation to an abrupt close by walking away.

In accordance with their chief's resolve, the Grabantak band embarked in their kayaks next morning, the gale having moderated, and with the intention of obtaining reinforcements, paddled back to Flatland, which they reached in a couple of days.

On the voyage Leo confined himself strictly to the oars and paddles, being unwilling to let the Eskimos into the secret of the kite, until he could do so with effect, either in the way of adding to their respect for the white man and his contrivances, or of making his escape.

Now, as has been said or hinted, although Grabantak's son, Koyatuk, was a stout and tall man, he was not gifted with much brain. He possessed even less of that substance than his father, whose energy and power of muscle, coupled with indomitable obstinacy, enabled him to hold the reins of government which were his by hereditary right. Besides being a fearless man, Grabantak was respected as a good leader in war. But Koyatuk had neither the energy of his father, nor his determination. He was vacillating and lazy, as well as selfish. Hence he was not a favourite, and when, after landing at Flatland, he endeavoured to renew his claim to Oblooria, neither his father nor the people encouraged him.

The timid one was therefore left with Leo and Anders, who immediately fitted up for her a separate screened-off apartment in the hut which was a.s.signed to them in the native village.

Even Koyatuk's mother did not befriend her son on this occasion. Merkut had her own reasons for proving faithless to her spoilt boy, whom on most occasions she favoured. Knowing his character well, the st.u.r.dy wife of Grabantak had made up her mind that Koyatuk should wed a young intelligent, and what you may call lumpy girl named Chukkee, who was very fond of the huge and lazy youth, and who, being herself good-natured and unselfish, would be sure to make him a good wife.

After one or two unavailing efforts, therefore, and a few sighs, the heir-apparent to the throne of Flatland ceased to trouble Oblooria, and devoted himself to his three favourite occupations--hunting, eating, and repose.

"Misser Lo," whispered Anders, on the first night after landing, as they busied themselves with the part.i.tion above referred to, "we 'scapes from dis here land very easy."

"How, Anders?"

"W'y, you's on'y got wait for nort' vint, den up kite, launch boat, an'--hup! away."

"True, lad, but I don't want to escape just yet."

"Not want to 'scape?"

"No. You see, Anders, we are now on very friendly terms with this tribe, and it seems to me that if we were to remain for a time and increase our influence, we might induce Grabantak to give up this war on which he seems to have set his heart. I have great hopes of doing something with Teyma. He is evidently a reasonable fellow, and has much power, I think, with the chief--indeed with every one. Pity that he is not to succeed Grabantak instead of that stupid Koyatuk. Besides, now I am here I must explore the land if possible. It is a pity no doubt to leave our friends, even for a short time, in ignorance of our fate, but we can't help that at present. Light the lamp, Anders, and let's see what we're about."

The summer was by that time so far advanced that the sun descended a considerable way below the horizon each night, leaving behind a sweet mellow twilight which deepened almost into darkness inside the Eskimo huts. These latter, like those already described, were made of stone, and the small openings that served for windows did not let in much light at any time.

The hut which had been a.s.signed by Grabantak to his prisoners--or visitors, for as such he now seemed to regard them--was a large roomy one, made chiefly of clay. It stood on a little mound a hundred yards or so apart from the main village of Flatland, and was probably one of the chief's private palaces. It was oval in form--like a huge oven-- about fifteen feet in diameter, and six feet in height. One-half of the floor was raised about eight inches, thus forming the "breck," which served for a lounge by day, and a couch by night. Its furniture of skins, cooking-lamp, etcetera, was much the same as that of the Eskimo huts already described, except that the low tunnel-shaped entrance was very long--about twelve feet. Light was admitted by a parchment-covered hole or window, with several rents in it, as well as by various accidental holes in the roof.

When the lamp was lighted, and skins were spread on the breck, and Leo, having finished the part.i.tion, was busy making entries in a note-book, and Anders was amusing himself with a tobacco pipe--foolish man! and Oblooria was devoting herself to the lamp, from which various charming sounds and delicious smells emanated--as well as smoke--this northern residence looked far more cheerful and snug than the luxurious dwellers in civilised lands will readily believe.

"I wonder," said Leo, looking up from his book after a prolonged silence, "I wonder what strange sounds are those I hear."

"P'r'aps it's de vint," said Anders, puffing a cloud from his lips in sleepy contentment, and glancing upwards.

When he and Leo looked at the roof of the hut it shook slightly, as if something had fallen on it.

"Strange," muttered Leo, reverting to his notebook, "it did not look like wind when the sun went down. It must be going to blow hard."

After a few minutes of silence Leo again looked up inquiringly.

"Dere's anoder squall," said Anders.

"More like a sneeze than a squall. Listen; that is a queer pattering sound."

They listened, but all was silent. After a minute or so they resumed their occupations.

The sounds were, however, no mystery to those who were in the secret of them. Knowing the extreme curiosity of his countrymen, Grabantak had placed a sentinel over his guests' hut, with orders to let no one go near it. The sentinel entered on his vigil with that stern sense of duty-unto-death that is supposed to animate all sentinels. At first the inhabitants of Flatland kept conscientiously away from the forbidden spot, but as the shades of night toned down the light, some of them could not resist drawing near occasionally and listening with distended eyes, ears, and nostrils, as if they expected to drink in foreign sounds at all these orifices. The sentinel grasped his spear, steeled his heart, and stood in front of the door with a look of grand solemnity worthy of the horse-guards.

At last, however, the sentinel's own curiosity was roused by the eager looks of those--chiefly big boys--who drew ever nearer and nearer.

Occasional sounds from the hut quickened his curiosity, and the strange smell of tobacco-smoke at last rendered it unbearable.

Slowly, sternly, as if it were part of his duty to spy, he moved to the torn window and peeped in. He was fascinated at once of course. After gazing for five minutes in rapt admiration, he chanced to withdraw his face for a moment, and then found that nine Eskimos had discovered nine holes or crevices in the hut walls, against which their fat faces were thrust, while at least half-a-dozen others were vainly searching for other peep-holes.

A scarcely audible hiss caused the rapt nine to look up. A terrible frown and a shake of the official spear caused them to retire down the slope that led to the hut.

This was the unaccountable "squall" that had first perplexed Leo and his comrade.

But like tigers who have tasted blood, the Flatlanders could not now be restrained.

"Go!" said the sentinel in a low stern voice to the retreating trespa.s.sers, whom he followed to the foot of the slope. "If you come up again I will tell Grabantak, who will have you all speared and turned into whale-buoys."

The boys did not appear to care much for the threat. They were obviously buoyed up with hope.