disgust at this ravenous
conduct on the part of her friend. But Edith had said, "Oh! how _can_
you?" and "Oh! shocking!" and "Oh! why don't you give up eating it raw?"
and "Oh! why _won't_ you have it cooked?" nearly every day for the last
two weeks, without producing any other effect than a gleeful laugh from
the little Esquimaux; for, although they did not comprehend her words,
they clearly understood her looks of disapproval. But although they
would not give up the habit of eating raw flesh, which they had been
accustomed to from their infancy, they were prevailed on so far to break
through the habits of their people as to wash their hands and faces
before going out to play. This they did because Edith positively
refused to go with them unless they did so.

Lifting up the end of her tail and wiping her mouth therewith, Arnalooa
smiled at Edith's look of reproach, and ran laughing towards the shore,
where she and Okatook washed their hands, after which they followed
Edith and Chimo to their favourite ravine. Although she knew that they
did not understand a word of what she said, Edith invariably kept up a
running fire of small talk, in reference chiefly to the objects of
nature by which they were surrounded. To this the little hairy
creatures listened intently with smiling faces, and sometimes they
laughed prodigiously, as though they understood what was said, so that
their companion felt as if she were really conversing with them,
although she was sadly perplexed at the utter impossibility of obtaining
an intelligible reply to a question when she chanced to put one.

"Oh, what a lovely glen!" cried Edith, her eyes beaming with delight,
as, on turning the point of a projecting crag, she and her companions
found themselves in a spot which they had not before seen during their
rambles. It was a wild, savage gorge, full of fallen rocks, hemmed in
with high cliffs, fringed here and there with willows and mosses, among
which were a few brilliant wild-flowers. The lights and shadows of the
spot were thrown into powerful contrast by a gleam of sunshine which
flashed down among the rugged masses, lighting up peaks and sharp edges
in some spots, while in others they were thrown into the profoundest
gloom.

"Oh! is it not a delightful place?" cried Edith, as she bounded up the
rugged path, followed by Chimo, while the two Esquimau girls buttoned up
their tails, and followed her as fast as their more cumbrous habilimen