Ilatsiak - 38

Fall came in ernest during the next few weeks with cold winds and biting snow and sleet. The narrow strip of water separating King William Island from the mainland to the south began to freeze over. Each day the ice grew outward from the shore and became thicker and stronger. By late September, only areas of water with the strongest currents were still open. Qajaq and her family would be collecting their belongings and beginning the long trek southward to the mouth of the Fish River for the winter.
David found himself trapped in a way, wishing he had been able to follow Qayaq and her family, but also knowing he should really stay with the family he had become attached to and over all of these thoughts, of course, wondering if he had made an error not reporting back for duty on board the Erebus. In spite of the obvious benefits of living with Agayuq and his family, he was a member of the ship’s crew and was expected to perform various duties. He didn’t consider himself a deserter when he first joined up with Agayuq, but the longer he remained away from the ships, the more impossible it was to return to them. He would be considered a deserter for sure by now, and David knew that punishment would be certain upon his return. At the same time, this new life seemed like the better choice while the ship was temporarily prevented from progressing towards its final destination.
Looking back, David was grateful for the kindness of Sir John looking out for him the way he had, right from the onset of the voyage. He would be stuck on the ship doing the usual round of boring duties had he not say to it that David get out and help Fairholme at the Magnetic Observatory. The news that Sir John had died still stung him, and then Pocock’s tales of widespread illness, the constant grumbing he had seen over the bad food and the griping of shipmates didn’t make the life aboard the ships sound very attractive. Things had changed a lot since their first winter-over. It was obvious, he had made the right choice to stay with his adopted family on King William Island. If he had to for some reason, he could probably return to the Erebus when it became useful to do so. He could make up a story about being held up. Now that fall was here again, that opportunity would not likely arise until the following summer, at the earliest, and then only if the ships worked themselves free of the ice.
* * *
Sadly David watch Qajaq and her family depart over the now frozen strait to the mainland. They had become close to each other and promised to meet up again the following summer at Amitsoq if they could. If not David was determined to make the trip south to the Fish River where her family would spend their winter.
He thought about little else that winter. Of course, there was the usual hunting to be done several times a week in the fall. In the dead of winter the family depended mostly on their cache of fish and seals caught during the summer. The caribou hunt at the crossing point had gone well and the whole family slowly got new winter clothing thanks to the sewing efforts of his adopted mother.
As the light returned and the days lengthened in the spring David and Agayuq returned to Boothia to hunt caribou once again. This year they had sighted a polar bear and Agayuq let the dogs chase it and eventually they cornered it in a small snow filled rock canyon. The bear turned and tried swatting the dogs, but they kept their distance. When David and Agayuq caught up to the dogs, the bear was obviously tiring as it fended off the dogs in the deep snow. Watching for his chance, Agayuq slowly moved closer to the bear and with a sudden movement, hurled his harpoon right at the bear's chest as it stood up. David watched, grouched down on one knee a few paces back with his own spear, but then froze as the bear knocked the oncoming harpoon aside and then lunged at Agayuq. In another fluid movement, Agayuq turned, grabbed the harpoon from David's grasp and taking a pace forward pushed the butt end into the snow. The harpoon head took the bear's weight as it threw itself over the dogs at Agayuq. As the impaled bear died, the dogs tore into its fur and Agayuq beat them off with the handle of his dog team whip. David was astonished by what he had seen. He had to be the bravest act he had ever witnessed, yet Agayuq calmly set about sharpening his knife as though it was just another chore in a long boring day.
When they got home a few weeks later, David was even more impressed that Agayuq said nothing about the bear kill. He let others slowly discover the bear skin and then shyly admitted that, yes, they had 'seen a bear' while hunting and were lucky enough to be able to bring it home.
The news at home was unsettling once again. People were once more telling stories about seeing Kabloonat on the move. It seems they were moving boats down the coast and setting up a couple of big camps. In the north, near the ships they had offloaded vast quantities of things from the ships and had them piled on the snow covered beach. Clearly, something was changing and David was again anxious about what he ought to do: stay or leave?