Through the Air to the North Pole Part 27

replied Jack, looking at the label again, "and it says that one capsule, if chewed and swallowed, is as much as an ordinary meal. There are two hundred capsules in here, and that will last us for a few days at least."

"Not very hearty eatin', 'cordin' to my way of thinkin'," said Bill; "but I guess with that and the moss Dirola can dig up we'll get along."

The Esquimaux woman had finished her simple meal. She dug up quite a quant.i.ty of the moss and laid it on top of a big pile of ice, where she could find it again.

"Must build house now," she announced. "Make place for sleep. I show you!"

In a little while a large s.p.a.ce was scooped out of the snow drift. Many hands soon enlarged the cave until it was large enough for all to move about inside with comfort.

"Now for dinner!" exclaimed Jack, as he opened the tin.

The meal, though simple, was satisfying, and soon the lost ones felt more comfortable.

"It's stopped snowing!" announced Mark, going to the entrance of the cave, "and it's much colder. I guess we'll stay here a while."

He returned to his companions. They all went as far to the rear of the cave as they could, for the wind came in the wide entrance.

"We must make a winding pa.s.sage, and then the breeze can't find it's way in," suggested Jack. "I think--"

But what he thought he never told, for at that instant the floor of the snow cave gave way right under where they were all standing, and the whole five of them went slipping, sliding and tumbling down, they knew not to where.

For an instant all were so surprised and frightened that they could not even cry out. They were plunged into dense blackness.

"What has happened?" Jack cried.

Before any one could answer him, the blackness gave way to a glare of light, and the two boys, with Dirola and the men, brought up suddenly with a jolt on the floor of a big ice cavern.

It was several hundred feet long, and as many wide, with a roof fifty feet above their heads.

The sides were of pure ice, but, strangest of all, was the rosy, golden glow that filled the whole place. With wonder in their eyes the adventurers gazed at the source of the illumination.

At one end of the cavern was a rude altar. Behind it, and on both sides, there arose great streamers of fire, tongues of flame, red, green, blue, purple, yellow and glaring white.

Yet the fire did not burn, for there was ice on every side, and the ice did not melt. In wonder the crew of the _Monarch_ gazed.

Presently from the other end of the cave there sounded a wild, weird song. It was like a chant. Then, before the adventurers could get to there feet, there filed into the cavern two score of men, all dressed in white fur. At the head of the procession marched two men who were veritable giants, compared to those about them. They bore between them, on a rude litter, a man, wearing only a fur cloth about his middle.

"What is it?" whispered Jack in awed accents.

"They are fire-worshipers!" exclaimed Mark. "If they see us they'll kill us!"

"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 pa.s.sed 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, b.u.mped 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 pa.s.sage 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.

There were several natives squatting down inside the hut, but they did not seem surprised when the three prisoners entered. Others of the Esquimaux crowded into the ice house, until it was uncomfortably filled.

Then a native who seemed to be a leader began a long talk to the others.

Judging from his gestures he was telling about the fight at the airship and the capture of the captives. At times he would be interrupted by those who wanted to question him.

At length the recital was done. All the Esquimaux, save about half a dozen, crawled out of the hut. One of those who remained placed an earthen pot over the flame of the stove, and soon a delicious smell filled the air. Evidently something good was being cooked.

"It's chicken pot-pie," said Washington. "How I does love chicken!"

Presently one of the natives removed the pot from the stove and set it in front of the captives. The contents were steaming hot, and seemed to be some sort of meat stew, made with chunks of flesh, gravy and moss.

"How are we going to eat, without knives, forks or spoons?" asked Andy.

He soon found out. The natives who had remained in the hut drew up to the pot. They dipped their bare hands in, drew out pieces of meat and wads of the moss, and ate without ceremony.

"Fingers were made before forks," quoted the professor. "We'll have to eat as the old cave-dwellers did. Well, I'm hungry enough not to stand on politeness."

He reached in the vessel and got some meat. It was hot, but he did not mind that, and ate it with a relish. Andy and Washington followed his example, and soon the travelers from the _Monarch_ and the Esquimaux were eating together as if they had been friends all their lives.

When the rude meal had ended, the prisoners felt much better. They were warm, their hunger was appeased, and, in spite of their many worries over the loss of the airship and their companions, they were so tired out that they felt very sleepy. Soon the professor's head nodded over, shortly Andy was snoring and in a little while Washington too slumbered.

They did not know how long they had slept, but they were suddenly and rudely awakened by being shaken. Opening their eyes, they saw the hut was filled with Esquimaux, all clothed in suits of spotless white fur.

"These must all be chiefs," remarked the professor.