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Poor, timid Nunaga, trembling from skin to marrow, had just courage enough to grasp her spear and follow Kabelaw. The latter understood well how to act. She had often seen her own kinsmen do the work that was required of her. As for the two little ones, they continued throughout to stand limp and motionless, with eyes and mouths wide-open.

Knowing that it would be useless, they sat still and the other women laughed. At the success of his little device the robber-lieutenant of Grimlek chuckled quietly, as he crouched behind that bush. When Nunaga laid her hand on the gaudy bait he sprang up, grasped her round the waist, and bore her off into the bushes. At the same moment the rest of the band made a rush at the oomiak.

"Where do you take us to?" asked Kabelaw, in a tone of humility which was very foreign to her nature. "You shall know that in time," was the stern reply. Nunaga was too much frightened to speak, but little Tumbler was not. "Bad bad man!" he exclaimed, with a fierce look that caused the wizard for a moment to smile grimly.

But Kannoa determined not to be left to die on the shore. She rose, squeezed the water out of her garments and followed the robber, whom she soon found in the bushes with his companions eagerly discussing their future plans. Nunaga was seated on the ground with her face bowed on her knees. Kannoa went and sat down beside her, patted her on the shoulder and began to comfort her.

"That is a hard game," said the wife; "it makes even the young men blow like walruses." "Ay, and eat like whales," added the husband. "And sleep like seals," remarked Nunaga. "And snore like like Okioks," said Nuna. This was a hard hit, being founded on some degree of truth, and set Okiok off in a roar of laughter.

The leader, who had taken charge of Nunaga, and held one of her hands during the journey, set the girl close in front of him, to prevent the possibility of her attempting to escape, for he had noted her activity and strength, and knew how easily she might elude him if once free in the dark woods.

"He trusts the Great Spirit for deliverance from danger. Is, then, the rescue of Nunaga too hard for Him?" "I know not," returned Angut, who was, how ever, cheered a little by his friend's tone and manner. "Everything is mystery. I look up, I look around, I look within; all is dark, mysterious. Only on this is my mind clear the Great Spirit is good. He cannot be otherwise. I will trust Him.

"But there's nothing else," said Nunaga, gently. "Yes, there is. I have got some cold seal in my boots from this morning's breakfast," said Kabelaw, extracting a goodly-sized morsel; "I never go on a journey, however short, without a bit of cooked meat."

Then it arose, sauntered round the promontory, and presented itself to the more than astonished gaze of Nunaga, who was the only one that chanced to sit facing in its direction. The resulting shriek and its consequences seemed to have a petrifying effect on the animal, for it stood stock still for some moments, and simply gazed.

The fair Nunaga fell into a tremendous giggle at this joke, for although our hero's Eskimo was not very perfect, he possessed all an Irishman's capacity for making his meaning understood, more or less; and truly it was a sight to behold the varied expressions of face the childlike surprise, admiration, curiosity, and something approaching to awe with which those unsophisticated natives received the explanation of the different parts of that clasp-knife!