“He says he’s not sure he can find any Eskimos very near here,” Sloan turned to Corporal McCarthy. “But he’ll try. He says we’ll have to take a chance following the coast line.”
“Alright, then, we’ll take the chance. We’ve got to have boats.”
But luck was with them, for they had not gone on a mile when they came upon a dozen igloos in a sheltered nook. The tribesmen were at sea, hunting seals, and the women were scattered along the shore skinning and cutting up the meat.
“We are in luck in some ways,” called Constable Sloan, cheerfully, as they drew up at the igloos. “Now if we can only trade these fellows out of a few native boats, we’ll be luckier still. Here comes a couple of men.”
The two Eskimos approaching from the beach, were evidently not at all afraid of the white men, for they came up smiling, perfectly unconscious that they put forth a bad appearance with their clothing covered with seal blubber, grease and blood.
Sipsa immediately began talking with them, Sloan permitting him to do the dickering for the boats.
When the policemen had opened one of the packs and revealed some fine, shiney knives, kettles, and axes, the Eskimos became greatly interested, and one of them ran off to call the rest of the tribe.
Presently they were all down at the sea shore looking over the native boats, or kayacks. Corporal McCarthy picked out one serviceable looking kayack, and two umiacks, or large boats, for the dogs and supplies. The kayack was about twenty feet long and twenty inches wide, covered with water proofed skins, and made to seat one person in a hole in the center, over which was a flap that could be buttoned around the chin, making the boat almost water tight, even though it were capsized. The umiacks were, however, flat-bottomed, hollow, and were ordinarily used in transporting women, children, and household goods by water. Corporal McCarthy gave the Eskimo owners a large collection of knives, pots and hatchets for the boats and they seemed very well pleased with the trade.
“I’ll take the kayack,” instructed Corporal McCarthy. “Sloan, you and the Indian lad take one of the umiacks and Dick, Sandy, and Sipsa the other. If we get a move on we can get our equipment loaded before Mistak gets too much of a start. He took his dogs so we’ll have to take ours.”
Not more than a half hour later Dick and Sandy and the Eskimo guide put to sea in their umiack, a crude sail of caribou hide stiffening in the breeze, while they plied a paddle to add to their speed. Constable Sloan and Toma followed immediately in the other umiack, while the Corporal settled himself in the kayack, the last of the three.