n supported by
Okiok and his sons. The sailor was not ignorant of Eskimo ways. His
residence in South Greenland had taught him many things. He dropped,
therefore, quite naturally--indeed gladly--on his hands and knees on
coming to the mouth of the tunnel, and crept slowly into the hut,
followed by the whole family, except Ermigit, who was left to unfasten
the dogs.

The weather at the time was by no means cold, for spring was rapidly
advancing; nevertheless, to one who had been so reduced in strength, the
warmth of the Eskimo hut was inexpressibly grateful. With a great sigh
of relief the rescued man flung himself on the raised part of the floor
on which Eskimos are wont to sit and sleep.

"Thank God, and again I thank _you_, my friends!" he said, repeating the
phrase which he had already used, for the sudden change from despair to
hope, from all but death to restored life, had filled his heart with
gratitude.

"You are weary?" said Okiok.

"Ay, ay--very weary; well-nigh to death," he replied.

"Will the Kablunet sleep?" asked Nuna, pointing to a couch of skins
close behind the seaman.

Rooney looked round.

"Thankee; yes, I will."

He crept to the couch, and dropped upon it, with his head resting on an
eider-down pillow. Like a tired infant, his eyes closed, and he was
asleep almost instantaneously.

Seeing this, the Eskimos began to move about with care, and to speak in
whispers, though it was needless caution, for in his condition the man
would probably have continued to sleep through the wildest thunderstorm.
Even when baby, tumbling headlong off the elevated floor, narrowly
missed spiking himself on a walrus spear, and set up a yell that might
have startled the stone deaf, the wearied Kablunet did not move. Okiok
did, however. He moved smartly towards the infant, caught him by the
throat, and almost strangled him in a fierce attempt to keep him quiet.

"Stupid tumbler!" he growled--referring to the child's general and
awkward habit of falling--"Can't you shut your mouth?"

Curious similarity between the thoughts and words of civilised and
savage man in similar circumstances! And it is interesting to note the
truth of what the song says:--

"We little know what great things from little things may rise."

From that slight incident the Eskimo child derived his future name of
"Tumbler"! We forget what the precise Eskimo term is, but the English
equivalent will do as well.

When supper-time a