Page:A Wild-Goose Chase - Balmer - 1915.djvu/279

Rh had finished it he nodded and extended the spear handle to Hedon. Eric studied the marks and with a smile handed the wood to Koehler.

"What are you two looking at?" Margaret cried.

"What do you make of them, doctor?" Eric appealed.

"Runes!" Koehler announced.

"Runes?" Geoff asked.

"Runic writing—the kind of characters carved by the Norsemen at the time they were in Greenland!" Hedon cried. He took back the spear handle and, turning to the Eskimo who had carved the characters, he began asking him some questions.

"The writing of the Norsemen in Greenland?" Geoff stared from Hedon to the Eskimo.

"What are you asking him?" Margaret said to Eric.

"I was trying to find out if he knew what the marks mean. He says he doesn't. He didn't even understand that the marks should have any meaning."