"I'd willingly go without a meal if I was sure the airship was safe," sighed the professor.
At this mention of their craft all the adventurers became silent and a feeling of sadness came over them. But they had little time to indulge in gloomy thoughts.
As soon as the inhabitants of the camp had greeted the fishing party the captives were surrounded by a group of curious ones, who followed the chief, in his white furs, to where the prisoners' sleds had been drawn up. The white men, who must have seemed strange beings to the Esquimaux, were still fastened to the vehicles. At a word from the leader the bonds were cut.
"I guess they want us to get up," said Jack.
He rose from his sleigh, and his example was followed by the others. The Esquimaux closed around them. Then, before any of the prisoners could raise a hand in their defense, they were seized by a score of the dark natives and hurried off across the snow.
"Draw your revolvers and shoot!" cried Andy. "They are going to kill us!"
"No! No!" shouted the old inventor. "To resist now would be folly. Have patience a little longer!"
His voice was so earnest that all obeyed him. So, unresisting, the captives were borne away. Then a strange thing happened.
The sun, which had been shining in the sky from which it would not disappear for six months, suddenly seemed to darken. The captives started in surprise.
"What's the matter?" asked the old inventor, struggling to escape from the arms which held him. "Is it night?"