It was but a few moments before they heard a loud voice calling on a team of dogs to stop and Lucky whispered:
"Eet Eskimo."
"Then we might as well show ourselves," Jack suggested.
They at once stepped out from behind the cabin, the Indian in the lead, and saw that he had been right in his estimate of the nationality of the stranger. He was a short fat man completely swathed in furs and was accompanied by a team of four dogs with an nearly empty sled. He was busily engaged in examining their tracks and they were within a few feet of him before he was aware of their presence.
"How," Lucky said pleasantly as the man looked up.
"Ugh."
It was a grunt, but whether meant to be pleasant or hostile the boys were unable to tell.
"Where you come?"
The Eskimo shook his head evidently not understanding the question.
The Indian repeated the question this time in French, but he again shook his head at the same time saying something in a language entirely new to the boys. But Lucky understood him for he immediately answered in the same language, and, for several minutes they carried on a spirited conversation helped along by many eloquent gestures on the part of the stranger.