196 THE WORLD OF ICE.

to receive or make an attack, as the case might be.
He then laid his musket down on the ice, and, still
holding the woman by the arm, advanced boldly to-
wards the natives unarmed. On approaching to within
about twenty yards of them he halted, and raised both
arms above his head as a sign of friendship. The
signal was instantly understood, and one big fellow
leaped boldly from his elevated position on a lump of
ice, threw down his spear, and ran to meet the stranger.

In a few minutes Buzzby and the Esquimau leader
came to a mutual understanding as to the friendly
disposition of their respective parties, and the woman
was delivered up to this big fellow, who turned out
to be her husband after all, as O’Riley had correctly
euessed. The other Hsquimaux, seeing the amicable
terms on which the leaders met, crowded in and
surrounded them.

“Leave the half o’ ye to guard the arms, and come
on the rest of ye without ’em,” shouted Buzzby.

The men obeyed, and in a few minutes the two
parties mingled together with the utmost confidence.
The sailors, however, deemed it prudent to get posses-
sion of their arms again as soon as possible; and after
explaining as well as they could by signs that their
home was only at a short distance, the whole band
started off for the ship. The natives were in a most
uproarious state of hilarity, and danced and yelled as
they ambled along in their hairy dresses, evidently
filled with delight at the prospect of forming a friend-
ship with the white strangers, as they afterwards