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Updated: June 27, 2025
Half an hour later he entered Okiok's hut in quest of Nunaga, but only her mother was there. She told him that the girl had gone off with a sledge along the coast to Moss Bay to fetch a load of moss to stuff between the logs of the hut where they required repairing, and that she had taken Kabelaw as well as Tumbler and Pussi with her.
We pause to remind the reader that our little ones lisped in Eskimo, and that, in order to delineate faithfully, our only resource is to translate into lisping English. "It's a man," exclaimed Tumbler. "I tink him's a funny man," murmured the little girl, as the man approached. Pussi was right. But it was not his dress, so much as his gait and expression, that were funny.
Nuna was quietly cooking the seaman's next meal, and Nunaga was mending one of his garments, when Okiok entered. Both held up a warning finger when he appeared. "Where is Tumbler?" he asked softly, looking round. "Gone to the hut of Pussimek to play with Pussi," replied the wife; "we could not keep him quiet, so we " She stopped and looked solemn, for Rooney moved. The talking had roused him.
The surprise and pleasure of this meeting was still at its height when two shrill cries were heard. These were instantly followed by the bursting of Pussi and Tumbler on the scene, the former of whom rushed into the ready arms of Pussimek, while the latter plunged into the bosom of Nuna. Ippegoo, unable to contain himself for joy, began an impromptu and original waltz round his own mother.
"Pussi!" exclaimed Nunaga, pointing wildly to the water. "Where where did she go in?" cried Rooney. "She must have gone under the ice!" gasped the poor girl. As she spoke a bubble of air rose to the surface. Next moment the seaman cleft the cold black water and disappeared.
Eskimo fathers and mothers are not, as a rule, nervous or anxious about their offspring. In a remarkably short space of time Pussi and Tumbler, walking hand in hand, put more than a mile of "bush" between them and their feeding-place. "Oh! wha's dat?" exclaimed Pussi, stopping short, and gazing into the thicket in front of her.
"But me knows," said a small sweet little child-voice from the midst of a bundle of furs. It was the voice of Pussi. That Eskimo atom had been so overcome with sleep at the breaking up of the festivities of the previous night that she was unable to distinguish between those whom she loved and those for whom she cared not.
In the present instance it did so most effectually, for poor little Pussi and Tumbler were already rather awed by the grandeur and mysterious appearance of the sea-green cave. Turning instantly, they fled or toddled on the wings of terror, and with so little regard to personal safety, that Pussi found herself suddenly on the edge of an ice-cliff, without the power to stop.
Over this went men, women, and children at a flying leap all except poor little Pussi. That fat little thing would have been left behind had not the mere force of the rush carried her on in a half running, half rolling way. Being unable to manage the jump, she went in with a plunge, and disappeared. A wild scream from the nearest female caused every one to stop and run back.
As he spoke the sound of child-voices arrested them, and one was heard to utter the name of Nunaga. The two men paused to listen. They were close to the entrance to the ice-cave, which was on the side of the berg opposite to the spot where the games were being held, and the voices were recognised as those of Pussi and Tumbler.
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