And, by way of giving emphasis to the announcement, he repeated it several times. Then, pointing off to the east and north, he said,—
"Oomiak-sook!" ("Big ship!")
And, when this had been duly repeated, he cried out,—
"Chymo—aunay!" ("The trade is far off!")
"Now the next thing is to seize the oomiak," said he.
"We will make them help as bring it up here. I'll detail a party for that purpose."
He now pointed off to the shore with the word oomiak, and, stepping up to one of the men, laid his hand on his shoulder, and made signs for him to go with us. The man, a stout, short fellow, seemed partly to comprehend his meaning, and rather reluctantly moved out from his fellows.
"We shall want as many as seven or eight of them," remarked Wade.
"Form a ring around this one, then, while I get out another," said Kit.
But the second one backed off as Kit approached him, gesticulating, and shouting, "Na-mick, na-mick!" and, on Kit's laying his hand on his shoulder, he let out a "straight left" with considerable vim.