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Approaching one of the band of hunters, which was headed by the jovial Simek, and had halted for the purpose of refreshment, Ujarak accosted them with "Have the young men become impatient women, that they cannot wait to have their food cooked?"
The wizard looked at him in surprise. "What do you mean?" he asked sharply. "I mean that if the torngak you were going to get for me is no better than your own, he is a fool, and I would rather not have him." This unexpected rebellion of the worm which he had so often twisted round his finger was too much for Ujarak in his then irascible condition.
Rising with a somewhat abashed look, he followed his evil genius out of the hut, where, in another compartment, his mother lay, open-mouthed, singing a song of welcome to the dawning day through her nose. Ujarak led the youth to the berg with the sea-green cave. Stopping at the entrance, he turned a stern look on his pupil, and pointing to the cavern, uttered the single word "Follow."
The women, being also well aware of this, were filled with anxiety, for their one hope of rescue lay in their friends discovering their flight and engaging in instant and hot pursuit. Never since the commencement of his career had Ujarak displayed such anxiety to increase the distance between himself and his tribe.
Simek paused, and looked round on the company with a solemn stare, which produced a smothered laugh in some cases a little shriek of delight for every one, except the wizard himself, recognised in the look and manner an imitation of Ujarak. "A dreadful business," continued Simek; "but I got over it, as you shall hear. I too have a torngak. You need not laugh, my friends. It is true.
"Will Ujarak carry a message from the Kablunet to his village?" asked Rooney, turning to the wizard. "He will," replied the latter somewhat sulkily. "Does he know the angekok named Angut?" It is doubtful whether anger or surprise was most strongly expressed in the countenance of the Eskimo as he replied sternly, "Yes."
Rooney laughed. "Well, you know best," he said; "I daresay you are right. Okiok is a sharp fellow, and Ujarak is but a blundering booby after " A low chuckle in the region of the lamp attracted their attention at this point.
It is not necessary, neither would it be profitable, to give in full detail what Ujarak said to the gaping crowd.
Evidently Okiok had a glimmering of what he meant, for he looked pleased as well as solemn. It might be tedious to continue the conversation. Leaving them therefore to their profound discussions, we will turn to another and very different social group. Partially concealed in a cavern at the base of a stupendous, almost perpendicular, cliff, stood the wizard Ujarak and his pupil Ippegoo.
"Why does your torngak let you make so many mistakes?" Again a rush of anger prompted the wizard to sacrifice his quondam pupil, and once more the youth's imperturbable coolness overawed him. Bad as he was, Ujarak could not kill a smiling victim. "Ippegoo," said the wizard, suddenly changing his tone, and becoming intensely earnest, "I see what is the matter.
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