h likelihood of their stabbing each other by
mistake in the dark, as of killing or catching their foes.

When the hunters had again re-assembled in front of their chief man's
house, they found new cause of anxiety which effectually put to flight
their annoyance at having been outwitted by the robbers.

This was the fact that, although night was coming on, the oomiak with
the women had not returned.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Note. This is no fanciful speech. It is the substance of an actual
speech made by a Greenlander to the Moravian brethren in 1737.

CHAPTER TWENTY EIGHT.

A CAPTURE, FLIGHT, SURPRISE, AND RESCUE.

If true love is, according to the proverb, more distinctly proved to be
true by the extreme roughness of its course, then must the truth of the
love of Angut and Nunaga be held as proved beyond all question, for its
course was a very cataract from beginning to end.

Poor Nunaga, in the trusting simplicity of her nature, was strong in the
belief that, having been found and saved by Angut, there was no further
cause for anxiety. With an easy mind, therefore, she set herself to the
present duty of spearing cat fish with a prong.

It was fine healthy work, giving strength to the muscles, grace and
activity to the frame, at the same time that it stimulated the appetite
which the catfish were soon to appease.

"It grows late," said Pussimek, "and will be dark before we get back to
camp."

"Never mind; who cares?" said the independent Sigokow, who was fond of
"sport."

"But the men will be angry," suggested the mother of Ippegoo.

"Let them be angry--bo-o-o!" returned the reckless Kabelaw.

"Nunaga," said Nuna, looking eagerly over the side, "there goes
another--a big one; poke it."

Nunaga poked it, but missed, and only brought up a small flat-fish,
speared by accident.

Old Kannoa, who also gazed into the clear depths, was here observed to
smile benignantly, and wave one of her skinny arms, while with the other
she pointed downwards.

The sisters Kabelaw and Sigokow, each wielding a pronged stick,
responded to the signal, and were gazing down into the sea with uplifted
weapons when Pussimek uttered an exclamation of surprise and pointed to
the shore, where, on a bush, a small piece of what resembled scarlet
ribbon or a strip of cloth was seen waving in the wind.

"A beast!" exclaimed Pussimek, who had never before seen or heard of
scar