,--and himself undertook
to accomplish the task of stultification.

He was in the act of concluding his explanation when another chuckle
burst upon them from the region of the lamp. This time there was no
attempt at concealment, for there stood old Kannoa, partly enveloped in
savoury steam, her head thrown back, and her mouth wide-open.

With a laugh Rooney leaped up, and caught her by the arm.

"You've heard what I've been saying, mother?"

"Ye-yes. I've heard," she replied, trying to smother the laughter.

"Now, look here. You must promise me not to tell _anybody_," said the
seaman earnestly, almost sternly.

"Oh, I not tell," returned the old woman; "I love not Ujarak."

"Ah! just so; then you're pretty safe not to tell," said Rooney.

"No fear of Kannoa," remarked Angut, with a pleasant nod; "she never
tells anything to anybody."

Satisfied, apparently, with this assurance, the seaman took the old
woman into his counsels, congratulating himself not a little on having
found an ally in the very hut in which it had been arranged that the
mysterious performance was to take place. Shortly after that Angut
left.

"Now, Kannoa," said Rooney, after some preliminary talk, "you remember
the big white bear that Angut killed two moons ago?"

"Remember it? Ay," said Kannoa, licking her lips; "it was the fattest
and best bear I ever chewed. Huk! it _was_ good!"

"Well, where is that bear's skin?"

The old dame pointed to a corner of the hut where the skin lay. Rooney
went and picked it up, and laid it at the upper end of the hut farthest
from the door.

"Now, mother," said he; "you'll not touch that skin. Let it lie there,
and let no one touch it till I come again. You understand?"

"Yes," answered Kannoa, with a look so intensely knowing that it made
the seaman laugh.

"But tell me," said the old woman, becoming suddenly grave, and laying
her thin scraggy hand on the man's arm; "why do you call me mother?"

"Oh, it's just a way we have in my country when--when we feel kindly to
an old woman. And I do feel kindly to you, Kannoa," he added, with
sudden warmth and energy of look and tone, "because you are so like my
own grandmother--only she was younger than you, and much
better-looking."

Rooney meant no rudeness by the last remark, but, having observed the
straightforward simplicity of his new friends in saying exactly what
they meant, he willingly adopted their style.

Kannoa seemed much pleased