about him for signs of the human being who had befriended him. But in
his eye was no sign of gratitude, rather the reverse--a burning fire of
suspicion and hate lurked in their sullen depths. His gaze finally
rested for a moment on the meat in his hand. Then his face blanched. The
meat had been neatly cut by an instrument keen as a razor.

* * * * *

The steam-whaler, Karluke, a whole year overdue, pushing her way south
through the ice-infested Strait, her crew half mutinous, and her food
supply low, was subjected to two vexatious delays. Once she halted to
pick up a man who signaled her from the top of a shattered tower of wood
which topped an ice pile. The man was a Russian. Again, the boat paused
to take on board a youth, whom they supposed to be a Chukche hunter who
had been carried by the floes from his native shores.

The Russian paid them well for his passage to Seattle. The supposed
Chukche was sent to the galley to become cook's helper.

This Chukche boy was no other than the Jap girl. She realized at once
the position she was in; a perilous enough one, once her identity was
disclosed, and she did all in her power to play the part of a Chukche
boy. She drew maps on the deck to show the seamen that she was a member
of the reindeer Chukche tribes, who spoke a different language from the
hunting tribes, thus explaining why she could not converse freely with
the veteran Arctic sailors who had learned Chukche on their many
voyages. She was fortunate in immediately securing a cook's linen cap.
This she wore tightly drawn down to her ears, covering her hair
completely.