Evidently the seaman was touched with a sense of the ludicrous, for he merely smiled and lay down again. But he did not try to sleep. Having been by that time thoroughly refreshed, he began to sniff the scent of savoury food as the war-horse is said to scent the battle from afarthat is, with an intense longing to go at it. Okiok, guessing the state of his feelings, brought him a walrus rib.
Red Rooney accepted it, and began to eat at once without the use of knife or fork.
Thankee, friend. Its the same Ill do for yourself if you ever come to starvation point when Ive got a crust to spare.
Charmed beyond measure at hearing their native tongue from the mouth of a foreigner, the stare of the whole party became more intense, and for a few moments they actually ceased to chewa sure sign that they were, so to speak, transfixed with interest.
My man, said Rooney, after a few minutes intense application to the rib, what is your name?
Okiok, replied the Eskimo.
Okiok, muttered the seaman to himself in English; why, thats the Eskimo word for winter. Then, after a few minutes further attention to the rib, Why did they name you after the cold season o the year?
I know not, said Okiok. When my father named me I was very small, and could not ask his reason. He never told any one. Before I was old enough to ask, a bear killed him. My mother thought it was because the winter when I was born was very cold and long.
Again the hungry man applied himself to the rib, and nothing more was said till it was finished. Feeling still somewhat fatigued, Rooney settled himself among his furs in a more upright position, and gave his attention to the natives, who instantly removed their eyes from him, and resumed eating with a will. Of course they could not restrain furtive glances, but they had ceased to stare.
In a few minutes Okiok paused, and in turn became the questioner.
No Kablunet ever came here before, he said. We are glad to see you; but why do you come, and why alone, and why starving?
Not very easy to answer these questions off-hand to the likes of you, said Rooney. However, Ill try. Youve heard of the settlementsthe tradersno doubt, in the far-off land over there?
Rooney pointed to the southward, the direction of which he knew from the position of the sun and the time of day, which latter he guessed roughly.
The Eskimo nodded. From the special character of the nod it was evident that he meant it to express intelligence. And it did!
Well, continued Rooney, you may have heard that big, bigtremendous bigkayaks, or rather oomiaks, have come to that country, an landed men and women, who have built housesigloosand have settled there to trade?
At this his host nodded with such decision, and so frequently, as to show that he not only knew of the Kablunet settlements, but was deeply interested in them, and would be glad to know something more.
Well, then, continued the sailor, I came out from a great and rich country, called England, in one o these big tradin canoes, which was wrecked close to the settlements, and there I stayed with my mates, waiting for another big kayak to come an take us off; but no kayak came for two wintersso thats the way I came to understand an speak the Eskimo
At this point, as if it could endure the strangers voice no longer, Tumbler set up a sudden and tremendous howl. He was instantly seized, half strangled, metaphorically sat upon, and reduced to sobbing silence, when the sailor resumed his narrative.
All that time I was workin off and on for the
He stopped abruptly, not having any words in the native language by which to name the Moravian Missionaries. The Eskimos waited with eager looks for the next word.
Well, well, resumed Rooney, with a pathetic smile, it is a pity the whole world dont speak one language. I was workin for, forthese Kablunets who have come to Greenland, (thats the name weve given to your country, you must know)who have come to Greenland, not to trade, but to teach men about Godabout Torngarsuk, the Good Spiritwho made all the world, and men, and beasts.
At this point the interest of Okiok became, if possible, more intense.
Do the Kablunets know God, the Good Spirit? Have they seen him? he asked.
They havent exactly seen Him, replied the sailor; but they have got a book, a writing, which tells about Him, and they know something of His nature and His wishes.
Of course this reference to a book and a writingwhich Rooney had learned to speak of from the Moravianswas quite incomprehensible to the Eskimo. He understood enough of what was said, however, to see the drift of his visitors meaning.
Huk! he exclaimed, with a look of satisfaction; Angut will be glad to hear this.
Who is Angut? asked the sailor.
The whole party looked peculiarly solemn at this question.
Angut is a great angekok, answered Okiok, in a low voice.
Oh! he is one of your wise men, is he? returned Rooney, with an involuntary shrug of his shoulders, for he had heard and seen enough during his residence at the settlements to convince him that the angekoks, or sorcerers, or wise men of the Eskimos, were mostly a set of clever charlatans, like the medicine-men of the North American Indians, who practised on the credulity and superstition of their fellow-men in order to gain their own ends. Some of these angekoks, no doubt, were partly self-deceivers, believing to some extent the deceptions which they practised, and desiring more or less the welfare of their dupes; but others were thorough, as well as clever, rogues, whose sole object was self-interest.
Well, then, continued Rooney, after Id been two winters with these Kablunets, another big kayak came to the settlement, not to trade, nor to teach about God, but to go as far as they could into the ice, and try to discover new lands.
Poor men! remarked Okiok pitifully; had they no lands of their own?
O, yes; they had lands at home, replied the sailor, laughing.
Huk! exclaimed several of the natives, glancing at each other with quite a pleased expression. It was evident that they were relieved as well as glad to find that their visitor could laugh, for his worn and woe-begone expression, which was just beginning to disappear under the influence of rest and food, had induced the belief that he could only go the length of smiling.
Yes, continued the sailor; they had lands, more or lesssome of them, at leastand some of them had money; but you must know, Okiok, that however much a Kablunet may have, he always wants more.
Is he never content? asked the Eskimo.
Never; at least not often.
Wonderful! exclaimed Okiok; when I am stuffed with seal-blubber as full as I can hold, I want nothing more.
Again the sailor laughed, and there was something so hearty and jovial in the sound that it became infectious, and the natives joined him, though quite ignorant of the exciting cause. Even Tumbler took advantage of the occasion to give vent to another howl, which, having something of the risible in it, was tolerated. When silence was restored, the visitor resumed
I joined these searchers, as they wanted an interpreter, and we came away north here. Nothing particular happened at first. We had a deal of squeezing an bumping in the ice of course, but got little damage, till about six days back I think, or thereabouts, when we got a nip that seemed to me to cut the bottom clean out o the big kayak, for when the ice eased off again it went straight to the bottom. We had only time to throw some provisions on the ice and jump out before it went down. As our provisions were not sufficient to last more than a few days, I was sent off with some men over the floe to hunt for seals. We only saw one, asleep near its hole. Bein afraid that the sailors might waken it, I told them to wait, and I would go after it alone. They agreed, but I failed. The seal was lively. He saw me before I got near enough, and dived into his hole. On returnin to where I had left the men I found a great split in the ice, which cut me off from them. The space widened. I had no small kayak to take me across. It was too cold to swim. The floe on which my comrades stood was driftin, along wi the big floe, where the rest of them were. The ice on which I stood was fast. A breeze was blowin at the time, which soon carried the pack away. In an hour they were out of sight, and I saw them no more. I knew that it was land-ice on which I stood, and also that the coast could not be far off; but the hummocks and the snow-drift prevented me from seein far in any direction. I knew also that death would be my portion if I remained where I was, so I set off straight for land as fast as I could go. How long Ive been on the way I cant tell, for I dont feel quite sure, and latterly my brain has got into a confused state. I had a small piece of seal meat in my pouch when I started. When it was done I cut a strip off my sealskin coat an sucked that. It just kept body and soul together. At last I saw the land, but fell, and should have died there if the Good Spirit had not sent you to save me, Okiokso give us a shake of your hand, old boy!