When that worthy heard their desire, he uttered a shriek of denial. "In summer, yes, but now--you can't do it. It has been tried too often. The Straits is always rough, and the weather is too cold to sit all day in an oomiak, you'd freeze." "We'll chance it." "No, _no_, NO! If it comes on to storm, you'll go to sea. The tides are strong; you can't see your course, and--" "We'll use a compass. Now, you get me enough men to handle that oomiak, that's a good fellow. I'll attend to the rest." "But they won't go," declared the little fat man. "They know what it means. Why--" "Call them in. I'll do the talking." And accordingly the storekeeper went in search of the village chief, shaking his head and muttering at the madness of these people. "Fingerless" Fraser, noticing the change in Balt and Emerson when they re-entered the store, questioned them as to what had happened; and in reply to his inquiry, Big George said: "We're going to tackle the Straits in a small boat." "What! Not on your life! Why, that's the craziest stunt I ever heard of. Don't you know--" "Yes, we know," Emerson shut him up, brusquely. "You don't have to go with us." "Well, I should say not. Hunh! Do I look like I'd do a thing like that? If I do, it's because I'm sick. I just got this far by a gnat's eyelash, and hereinafter I take the best of it every time." "You can wait for the mail-boat." "I certainly can, and, what's more, I will. And I'll register myself, too. There ain't goin' to be any accidents to me whatever." Although the two men were pleased at the remote chance of catching the steamer, their ardor received a serious set-back when the trader came in with the head man of the village and a handful of hunters, for Emerson found that money was quite powerless to tempt them. Using the Russian as interpreter, he coaxed and wheedled, increasing his offer out of all proportion to the exigencies of the occasion; and still finding them obdurate, in despair he piled every coin he owned upon the counter. But the men only shook their heads and palavered among themselves. "They say it's too cold," translated Petellin. "They will freeze, and money is no good to dead men." Another native spoke: "'It is very stormy this month,' they say. 'The waves would sink an open boat.'" "Then they can put us across in bidarkas," insisted Emerson, who had noted the presence of several of these smaller crafts, which are nothing more than long walrus-hide canoes completely decked over, save for tiny cockpits wherein the paddlers sit. "They don't have to come back that way; they can wait at Uyak for the next trip of the steamer. Why, I'm offering them more pay than they can make in ten years." "Better get them to do it," urged Big George. "You'll get the coin all back from them; they'll have to trade here." But Petellin's arguments were as ineffective as Emerson's, and after an hour's futile haggling the natives were about to leave when Emerson said: