r putting on?" he asked in
astonishment.

"The dress that the Kablunet made for him," said Nunaga, with a merry
laugh. "Doesn't it fit well? My only fear is that if Arbalik sees him,
he will pierce him with a dart before discovering his mistake."

"What are you going to begin the day with?" asked Nuna, as she stirred
her kettle.

"With a feed," replied Okiok, glancing slyly at his better half.

"As if I didn't know that!" returned the wife. "When did Okiok ever do
anything before having his morning feed?"

"When he was starving," retorted the husband promptly.

This pleasantry was received with a giggle by the women.

"Well, father, and what comes after the morning feed?" asked Nunaga.

"Kick-ball," answered Okiok.

"That is a hard game," said the wife; "it makes even the young men blow
like walruses."

"Ay, and eat like whales," added the husband.

"And sleep like seals," remarked Nunaga.

"And snore like--like Okioks," said Nuna.

This was a hard hit, being founded on some degree of truth, and set
Okiok off in a roar of laughter.

Becoming suddenly serious, he asked if anything had been seen the day
before of Ujarak the angekok.

"Yes, he was in the village in the evening," replied Nuna as she
arranged the food on platters. "He and Ippegoo were found in the green
cave yesterday by the Kablunet. He was out about the ice-heaps, and
came on them just as Tumbler saved Pussi, and Ippegoo saved them both."

"Tumbler saved Pussi!" exclaimed the Eskimo, looking first at his
daughter and then at his wife.

"Yes; Pussi was tumbling over an ice-cliff," said Nunaga, "and Tumbler
held on to her."

"By the tail," said Nuna. "So Ippegoo rushed out of the cave, and saved
them both. Ujarak would have been too late. It seems strange to me
that his torngak did not warn him in time."

"Torngaks must be very hard-hearted," said Okiok, with a look and tone
of contempt that he did not care to conceal. "But what were they doing
in the cave?"

"Who knows?" replied Nuna. "These two are always plotting. Ridroonee
says they looked as if worried at having been discovered. Come,
fall-to. You must be strong to-day if you would play kick-ball well."

Okiok glanced with a look of care upon his brow at Nunaga, shook his
head gravely once or twice in silence, and began breakfast.

After the meal was over he sallied forth to join in the sports, which
were soon to begin. Going first to the hut of Angut, he found