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The sisters Kabelaw and Sigokow, each wielding a pronged stick, responded to the signal, and were gazing down into the sea with uplifted weapons when Pussimek uttered an exclamation of surprise and pointed to the shore, where, on a bush, a small piece of what resembled scarlet ribbon or a strip of cloth was seen waving in the wind.
Of course Kabelaw ran to the right, and Ujarak to the left of the foe. Advancing, as in duty bound, a step or two ahead of her male friend, the former proceeded to prick the bear; but when the monster rose on his hind legs, and towered to a height of eight feet, if not more, her heart failed her.
Although Nunaga, Kabelaw, and the children were now happily re-united to friends and kindred, their dangers were by no means over, for a wide space of ice-blocked sea separated the small island from the shores of Greenland, and their supply of meat was not sufficient, even with economy, to maintain the whole party for more than a couple of days.
"If you say that I have run away with you, I will kill you and the children." A smile of contempt flickered on the face of Kabelaw at the moment. Observing it, the wizard added "There will be no escape for you. Your death will be certain, for even if these people were to kill me, and carry you back to the village, my torngak would follow you and kill you."
Then she suddenly stopped, dried her eyes, jumped up, and, pursing her lips and knitting her brows, ran to her friend, whom she found just returning to a state of consciousness. "What has happened?" asked Kabelaw, in a dazed manner, as she looked at the blood which flowed from her wound. Nunaga did not answer, but ran to the bear, which was quite dead, and began to drag it off Ujarak.
Breaking the gloomy silence which he had so long maintained, the wizard spoke: "Go," he said, "cook some food under the cliffs there. I will mend the sledge." The women replied, not by words, but by the more emphatic method of at once obeying the order. Kabelaw seized and shouldered a large piece of raw seal's flesh.
Kabelaw took no notice of this juvenile observation, but, blowing the spark which she had at last evoked into a flame, expressed some doubt as to Ujarak's repentance, and said she had never seen him in a state of sorry-tude before. Whereupon Tumbler pertly rejoined that he had often seen him in a state of sulky-tude! The damage to the sledge was slight.
And the sisters Kabelaw and Sigokow; they are the worst liars in all the village, besides being stupider than puffins. There, that will be enough for our first feed. When these have stuffed, we can have more. Too many at once makes much cooking and little talk. Go, my child."
"But what is the Kablunet like?" cried Kabelaw, as eagerly as if it were the first time of asking. "I have told you six times," replied Nuna. "Tell her again," cried the mother of Arbalik, with a sniff; "she's so used to lies that she finds it hard to take in the truth."
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