before," exclaimed Cheenbuk with delight, taking up
the fire-bag tenderly, "and have often wished that I had these things
for making fire."

"Well, you may have them now. They belonged to my father. All our men
carry bags with these things in them."

"And I've seen this too--once," continued the youth, smiling, as he
pulled out a tobacco-pipe. Then he bent his head suddenly, put his nose
to the bag, and made a face expressive of supreme disgust.

"Ho! and I've seen this too. I have tasted it, and after tasting it I
was very miserable--so miserable that I hope never to be as miserable
again!"

As he spoke he looked at Adolay with that extreme solemnity which was
one of the characteristics of his face.

The girl returned the look, but did not smile. She did not speak, but
waited for more.

"The man who showed me these things was a good man," continued Cheenbuk.
"I do not know his name, but I liked him much. Yet I think he was not
wise to fill his mouth with smoke and his inside with sickness."

"Was he sick?" asked Adolay.

"No--he was not, but--I was."

While he was speaking he drew a long piece of Canada twist tobacco out
of the bag, and looked at it sagaciously for some time, nodding his head
as if he knew all about it.

"Yes, that is the thing he put in the pipe, and, after making a small
fire over it, drew the smoke into himself. At first I thought he would
die, or catch fire and burst--but he--he didn't, and he seemed to like
it."

"All our men like it," said Adolay; "they smoke every day--sometimes all
day. And some of our women like it too."

"Do _you_ like it?" asked the Eskimo, quickly.

"No, I don't like it."

"Good--that is well. Now, we will cook some of your dried meat for
supper."

By that time the fire was blazing cheerily. As the shades of night
deepened, the circle of light grew more and more ruddy until it seemed
like a warm cosy chamber in the heart of a cold grey setting. A couple
of small stakes were thrust into the ground in such a way that the two
pieces of venison impaled on them were presented to the heart of the
fire. Soon a frizzling sound was heard; then odours of a kind dear to
the hearts of hungry souls--to say nothing of their noses--began to
arise, and the couple thus curiously thrown together sat down side by
side to enjoy themselves, and supply the somewhat clamorous demands of
Nature.

They said little while feeding, but when the venison steaks had
wel