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"Your mother and I were talking of a bad man, Nootka," said Mangivik. "Ay, a very very bad man," exclaimed Mrs Mangivik, with a decided nod of her head. "If he is so very bad," returned Nootka, "it would be good that he should never come back. Who is it?" "Gartok," answered her mother, with the air of one who has mentioned the most hateful thing in creation. Nootka laughed.
The girl had one ready, and handed it to him. Again Oolalik was overcome. He forgot the food and stared, so that Nootka dropped her eyes, presumably in some confusion; but once more the force of hunger brought the youth round and he resumed his meal. "Has Gartok killed much?" continued the inquisitive Mrs Mangivik.
It is scarcely credible what an amount of hitherto latent vanity was evoked by that mirror in the cabin, and that too in the most unlikely characters. Mangivik, for instance, spent much of his time the first few days in admiring his grey locks in the glass. And old Uleeta, although one of the plainest of the tribe, seemed never to tire of looking at herself.
As she spoke Nootka arose hastily and re-entered the hut, from out of which there issued almost immediately the sounds and the savoury odours of roasting flesh. Meanwhile Oolalik came up and gave vent to a polite grunt, or some such sound, which was the Eskimo method of expressing a friendly salutation. Mangivik and his wife grumped in reply. "You are soon back," said the former.
Nootka did not speak young women seldom do among savages, at least in the company of men, but she looked many and very unutterable things, which it is impossible, and would not be fair, to translate. "Will the others be back soon?" asked Mangivik. Oolalik looked over the rib and nodded. "Have they got much meat?" Again the young man nodded. "Good. There is nothing like meat, and plenty of it."
Just then a young man was seen advancing from the beach, where he had left his kayak. "It is Oolalik," said Mrs Mangivik, shading her eyes with her hand from the sun, which, in all the strength of its meridian splendour, was shining full on her fat face. "He must have made a good hunt, or he would not have come home before the others."
"We may as well have some women with us," remarked Oolalik, with a pointed glance at Nootka, but Nootka took no notice of either the observation or the glance. Even Eskimo girls understand how to tease! "Will Cowlik go?" asked Cheenbuk. "Yes." Cowlik smiled, and was quite ready to go. "No, she won't," said Mrs Mangivik, with a positiveness almost European in its tone. "Very well."
Then, tapping her friend, she said "Addi-lay?" The Indian, nodding assent, tapped her in return and exclaimed, "No-oot-ko?" After this little sparring match they both burst into a fit of hearty laughter, which roused the curiosity of Mrs Mangivik in the outer hall. "What is the joke?" shouted the old lady, who was hospitably preparing a feast of steaks and ribs for her guest.
"Have you told?" asked the boy anxiously. "Never said a word," replied Oolalik. "Here," said Nootka, holding out a piece of half-cooked blubber to the boy, "sit down and tell us all about it. What is the news?" "Ha!" exclaimed Anteek, accepting the food as if he appreciated it. "Well, I've killed my first walrus all alone too!" "Clever boy! how was it?" said Mrs Mangivik. "This was the way.
"The dirty walrus!" exclaimed Mrs Mangivik, with as much vigour as if she had been civilised, "he shall never have Nootka. As for fighting with the Fire-spouters, I only hope that if he does go to do so, he will get killed and never come back." "H'm!" grunted Mangivik, "if he does get killed he's not likely to come back."
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