me at
him when he didn't expect me. I soon got close enough, and ran at him.
He tried to flop away at first, but when I was close he turned and
looked fierce--terrible fierce! My heart jumped, but it did not sink.
I aimed for his heart, but just as I was close at him my foot struck a
stone and I fell. He gave a frightful roar, and I rolled out of his
way, and something twisted the spear out of my hand. When I jumped up,
what do you think? I found the spear had gone into one of his eyes, and
that made the other one water, I suppose, for he was twisting his head
about, but couldn't see me. So I caught hold of the spear, pulled it
out, and plunged it into his side; but I had not reached the heart, for
he turned and made for the sea.

"There was a steep place just there, and he tumbled and rolled down. I
lost my foothold and rolled down too--almost into his flippers, but I
caught hold of a rock. He got hold at the same time with his tusks and
held on. Then I jumped up and gave him the spear again. This time I
hit the life, and soon had him killed. There!"

On concluding his narrative the excited lad applied himself to his yet
untasted piece of blubber, and Nootka plied him with questions, while
Oolalik rose and went off to assist his comrades, whose voices could now
be heard as they shouted to the women and children of the colony to come
and help them to carry up the meat.

CHAPTER THREE.

PEACE OR WAR--WHICH?

Soon afterwards the Mangivik family received another visitor. This was
the bellicose Gartok himself, whose heart had been touched by the fair
Nootka.

Like his rival, he sat down opposite the maiden, and stared at her
impressively across the cooking-lamp. This would seem to be the usual
mode of courtship among those children of the ice; but the girl's mode
of receiving the attentions of the second lover varied considerably.
She did not drop her eyes shyly under his gaze, but stared him full in
the face by way of a slight rebuff. Neither did she prepare for him a
savoury rib, so that he was obliged to help himself--which he did with
much coolness, for the laws of hospitality in Eskimo-land admit of such
conduct.

After some desultory conversation between Gartok and his host, the
latter asked if it was true that there was a talk of the tribe paying a
visit to Whale River.

"Yes, it is true," answered the young man. "I came to see you about
that very thing, and to tell you that there is to