There continued some sort of system in this hunt, even though it was now arrested for the time. Men kept an eye out on the bay, where in a few moments the whale arose, spouting madly, and once more stirring the water into foam. Swimming on the surface, it then took a long, straight run apparently for the mouth of the bay. The chief gave some hurried command, and a dozen boats shot out, whether to head it or to watch it Rob could not tell, for presently the whale once more sounded, and when it next arose it was deeper into the bay. The situation now seemed to please the old hunter. "Maybe so him stay here now," he said, briefly, though why he thought so Rob could not tell. No one made any attempt to pursue the whale after that. The chief, carefully wiping off the sacred _nogock_, again wrapped it up in its coverings, made some mysterious passes over it, and restored it to its place in his bidarka, whence, as Rob now began to understand, the guilty Jimmy had some time since stolen it. As the boys met on the beach it must be confessed they were not thinking of their prisoner or his fate. In their excitement they were chattering to one another about the hunt, which they all agreed was the wildest and most peculiar one they had ever seen or heard of. "You had the best of it all, Rob," said John, enviously. "Our man wouldn't row up any closer. My, that old whale must have looked big from where you were!" "Well, he did, a little bit," admitted Rob, who had lost his cap somewhere and was now bare-headed. "That beats bear-hunting," said Jesse, "even although we haven't got our game yet." "They say he'll come ashore maybe in two or three days," said Rob. "Meanwhile, I suppose these natives will hang around here and wait. If they do get him, it's very likely they'll squat down here to eat him up, and that would take all summer! I must confess I don't like the look of it very much." "And there's Jimmy--" began John. "That's so! We must go and see about him." Quietly they edged their way out of the excited throng of natives and hurried across the sea-wall to the barabbara. Opening the door they peered cautiously in. No motion met their gaze, and although they called several times in a low tone there was no response. Passing into the barabbara they searched every corner of it. No doubt remained--their late prisoner was gone! XVI THE MISSING PRISONER For a time the boys sat silent and moody in the barabbara. The situation, as it appeared to them, was not a pleasant one. On the one side were half a hundred natives, whose intentions they could only guess; upon the other, as they now suspected, there might be an active enemy whose whereabouts they could only surmise. At last Rob spoke.