A gun had been fired from close at hand, and with its report came a confusion of shouts.

Evidently more visitors had arrived; but were they friends or foes?
White thought the latter, and snatched up a loaded revolver, declaring that the Indians should not again get possession of his schooner without fighting for it; but Cabot believed the new-comers to be friends.
"If they were enemies," he argued, "they would have got aboard and taken us by surprise before making a sound." So saying he hurried up the companionway, with White close at his heels.
"Hello!" shouted Cabot.

"Who are you ?" "We are friends," answered a voice from the beach in English, but with a strong German accent.

"Can you show us a light ?" "Of course we can, and will in a moment," replied Cabot joyously.
"White, get a----" But White had already darted back into the cabin for a lantern, with which he speedily emerged, and led the way to the beach.

Here our lads found a dog sledge with its team, and an Eskimo driver, who was already collecting wood for a fire, together with a white man, tall, straight, middle-aged, and wearing a long beard streaked with grey.
"God be with you and keep you," he said, as he shook hands with Cabot and White.