Ilatsiak - 29
Mr Shanks didn’t get up the next day. In lay in his blanket, his body wracked by continual coughing fits. Towards the end of the day, David noticed him trying to hide the fact that he has been spitting up considerable blood.
“What’s the bloody date, David!” Shanks suddenly yelled at David who had just left the shelter for a look around. Hearing the yell, he turned and poked his head under the canvas door flaps.
“The date? You want to know the date?”
“Yes, bloody hell, man. What’s the date?”
“I’m not exactly sure. Towards the end of April, I’d think.” David suddenly realized he couldn’t recall even what day it was for sure, but they had been on the ship about ten days previously on a Sunday in mid April. “Why’d you need to know that?”
“Because I’m dying, that’s why! I’m coughing my guts up! Can’t you tell?” Shanks was clearly distraught and confused. “ I want you to mark this day, David, the day I pass on...”
“That’s rediculous, Mr Shanks. You’ve caught a chill, that’s all. You’ll be up in a day or two. You’ll see.”
* * *
There were faint crunching sounds outside the shelter. David slowly woke up to this new sound and lay still. While he had yet to see a bear on this trip, other men had killed several and he had a good idea how big they were and how curious. He listened for a few more minutes before daring to move. The sounds seem to move away. Slowly he rose and lifted the rock which held the shelter door flap closed. He pulled the canvas aside slightly and peered out. Everything was white, brilliant, sunny white with a blue sky above. David looked towards the shore ice suddenly thinking that perhaps it was Mr Shanks body that had attracted the bear. However, if that was the case the animal wasn’t there.
Then a human laugh. David felt his body jump with surprise. Grabbing his boots, pulling them on, he burst out of the shelter ready to welcome the men back, wondering how they had been able to return so soon. Seeing no one, he ran around the corner of the piled boxes and tumbled into a crouching man, completely dressed in brown fur clothing. Eskimos!
Everyone seem to freeze, not knowing what exactly to expect next. David looked up. The man he had fallen over, was turning to face him and three other fur clad figures just seem to stare at him from around the boxes near the back of the shelter. No one seemed able to make the first move. Then everyone seemed to thaw out. David heard one of the men behind the shelter begin to laugh. Another man said something and the man closest to David pulled his hood back and spoke directly to David. It was the man who had visited them only a few days previously.
David, recovering from his surprise, held out a hand to the man. He responded with his and shook once with a slow up them down movement. The other three men came up to David and did the same. All four men had the warmest hands David could remember. Once this was done, the men began speaking rapidly both to David, who of course could understand nothing of what was said, as well as to each other. David immediately enjoyed the sound of their language and silently began to try and mimic the sounds to himself. It brought to mind the same sounds he had heard while he was in Greenland. Everything about the depot seem to interest them: the wooden boxes, the canvas, David’s woolen clothing, his leather boots, even his skin.
Before long it became apparent to David that they were obviously wondering where the other crew members were. They looked all around the depot, inside the shelter. They could see that another person had been there, there were two mugs, and various other pairs of things, but only one person. David didn’t know what to do. Should he show them where he had tried to bury Mr Shanks body in the snowdrift down beside the shore ice? Would it be better not to let them know he was alone? Would they guess the fact anyway? There were only David’s footprints besides their own. Surely they had already figured out he was alone.
After spending about a hour looking the depot over and trying to speak with David, Agayuq, the man who had visited the depot previously, began to indicate to David he was to follow them. At first he was reluctant to leave with them, but when another of the men crawled out of the shelter with David’s blankets and mug and David realised that he was not being given much of a choice. He followed his belongings, hoping that they were not being stolen, but just being moved to another site. He grabbed his heavy parka, and set several stones along the bottom of the tent flap knowling full well that it wouldn’t prevent a bear from entering, but might keep some snow out for a while.
Several hours later, David suddenly realised he had not left any sort of note behind indicating what had happened to him. It was too late now to return, but surely he would be back in a day or two - at any rate, it would be well over a week before the crew returned to the depot. He would surely be back by then.
“What’s the bloody date, David!” Shanks suddenly yelled at David who had just left the shelter for a look around. Hearing the yell, he turned and poked his head under the canvas door flaps.
“The date? You want to know the date?”
“Yes, bloody hell, man. What’s the date?”
“I’m not exactly sure. Towards the end of April, I’d think.” David suddenly realized he couldn’t recall even what day it was for sure, but they had been on the ship about ten days previously on a Sunday in mid April. “Why’d you need to know that?”
“Because I’m dying, that’s why! I’m coughing my guts up! Can’t you tell?” Shanks was clearly distraught and confused. “ I want you to mark this day, David, the day I pass on...”
“That’s rediculous, Mr Shanks. You’ve caught a chill, that’s all. You’ll be up in a day or two. You’ll see.”
There were faint crunching sounds outside the shelter. David slowly woke up to this new sound and lay still. While he had yet to see a bear on this trip, other men had killed several and he had a good idea how big they were and how curious. He listened for a few more minutes before daring to move. The sounds seem to move away. Slowly he rose and lifted the rock which held the shelter door flap closed. He pulled the canvas aside slightly and peered out. Everything was white, brilliant, sunny white with a blue sky above. David looked towards the shore ice suddenly thinking that perhaps it was Mr Shanks body that had attracted the bear. However, if that was the case the animal wasn’t there.
Then a human laugh. David felt his body jump with surprise. Grabbing his boots, pulling them on, he burst out of the shelter ready to welcome the men back, wondering how they had been able to return so soon. Seeing no one, he ran around the corner of the piled boxes and tumbled into a crouching man, completely dressed in brown fur clothing. Eskimos!
Everyone seem to freeze, not knowing what exactly to expect next. David looked up. The man he had fallen over, was turning to face him and three other fur clad figures just seem to stare at him from around the boxes near the back of the shelter. No one seemed able to make the first move. Then everyone seemed to thaw out. David heard one of the men behind the shelter begin to laugh. Another man said something and the man closest to David pulled his hood back and spoke directly to David. It was the man who had visited them only a few days previously.
David, recovering from his surprise, held out a hand to the man. He responded with his and shook once with a slow up them down movement. The other three men came up to David and did the same. All four men had the warmest hands David could remember. Once this was done, the men began speaking rapidly both to David, who of course could understand nothing of what was said, as well as to each other. David immediately enjoyed the sound of their language and silently began to try and mimic the sounds to himself. It brought to mind the same sounds he had heard while he was in Greenland. Everything about the depot seem to interest them: the wooden boxes, the canvas, David’s woolen clothing, his leather boots, even his skin.
Before long it became apparent to David that they were obviously wondering where the other crew members were. They looked all around the depot, inside the shelter. They could see that another person had been there, there were two mugs, and various other pairs of things, but only one person. David didn’t know what to do. Should he show them where he had tried to bury Mr Shanks body in the snowdrift down beside the shore ice? Would it be better not to let them know he was alone? Would they guess the fact anyway? There were only David’s footprints besides their own. Surely they had already figured out he was alone.
After spending about a hour looking the depot over and trying to speak with David, Agayuq, the man who had visited the depot previously, began to indicate to David he was to follow them. At first he was reluctant to leave with them, but when another of the men crawled out of the shelter with David’s blankets and mug and David realised that he was not being given much of a choice. He followed his belongings, hoping that they were not being stolen, but just being moved to another site. He grabbed his heavy parka, and set several stones along the bottom of the tent flap knowling full well that it wouldn’t prevent a bear from entering, but might keep some snow out for a while.
Several hours later, David suddenly realised he had not left any sort of note behind indicating what had happened to him. It was too late now to return, but surely he would be back in a day or two - at any rate, it would be well over a week before the crew returned to the depot. He would surely be back by then.
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posted by Michael | 4:42 PM
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