ng
fur of which gave him more the appearance of an animal than a human
being. His face was like colored parchment, his mouth and cheeks
wrinkled and sunken, his eyes small, black and bright, his long, white
hair and flowing beard, his bony hands, which he raised every few
moments and held over his long white eyelashes, as a shield to his
sight, gave him a strange and witch-like appearance.

There the two men, the figure in the door and Tite, stood for several
minutes gazing in silence, but with a look of astonishment, at each
other. The animals and fowls had gathered in a group about the old man,
alarmed at the sight of a stranger. At length a thin, shrill voice broke
the silence by enquiring: "Who is it that comes here to disturb my
peace?"

"We are friends," replied Tite, "shipwrecked sailors, in search of
shelter and food."

[Illustration: The cabin door now opened, and there stood, in the shadow
of the light, the figure of an old man bent with age, and dressed in the
skin of a wolf. Page 216.]

"Heaven pity you, and forgive me," returned the old man, his eyes
beaming brighter and his whole manner becoming more earnest. "Heaven
forgive me, you shall have both, and be welcome in my palace. Heaven
forgive me, for this is my palace and I am king of this island. Come in,
and such as I have you shall share with me." And he advanced, took Tite
by the hand, and led him into his cabin, the two men following.
Spreading seal and wolf skins on the floor, he bid them be seated, while
he prepared food for their supper. His motion was a shuffle rather than
a walk, and he moved about the cabin more like an animal than a human
being. He seemed to have an abundant supply of dried fish, fowl, and
fruit; of vegetables and roots, from which he made a beverage that
filled the place of coffee. And with these and some goat's milk he soon
set before them a supper, saying as he invited them to partake, "Heaven
forgive me for all my sins, and they are many. Your are countrymen of my
own, and speak the same language. Ah, I had almost forgotten it, as the
world has forgotten me. Now it all comes back, and makes me feel happy.
I am old, very old now. Heaven forgive me. There will be no more of poor
old George Dunman soon. When he dies he will die with great sins on his
head. If sin can be washed out with sorrow, Heaven knows I have had
sorrow enough." He advanced towards Tite, and laying his hand gently on
his shoulder, looked earnestly and