ours staring in moody silence at the sea,
tenderly caressing his injured nose, and meditating, no doubt, on things
past, present, and to come.

CHAPTER TWENTY THREE.

LEO VISITS FLATLAND AND SEES AS WELL AS HEARS MUCH TO INTEREST HIM
THERE.

The result of Grabantak's meditation was that, considering the nature
and wonderful weapons of the men by whom Amalatok had been reinforced,
he thought it advisable to return to his own land, which was not far
distant, for the purpose of adding to the force with which he meant to
subjugate the men of Poloe.

"We are unconquerable," he said, while conversing on the situation with
Teyma, his first lieutenant, or prime minister; "everybody knows that we
are invincible. It is well-known that neither white men, nor yellow
men,--no, nor black men, nor blue men,--can overcome the Flatlanders.
We must keep up our name. It will not do to let the ancient belief die
down, that one Flatlander is equal to three men of Poloe, or any other
land."

"The Poloe men laugh in their boots when they hear us boast in this
way," said Teyma gently.

We draw attention to the curious resemblance in this phrase to our more
civilised "laughing in the sleeve," while we point out that the prime
minister, although of necessity a man of war, was by nature a man of
peace. Indeed his name, Teyma, which signifies peace, had been given
him because of his pacific tendencies.

"What! would you not have me defend the Flatland name?" demanded
Grabantak, fiercely.

"No, I would have you defend only the Flatland property," replied the
blunt minister.

"And is not Puiroe my property?" growled Grabantak, referring to the
barren rock which was the cause of war.

"So is _that_ your property," said Teyma, picking up a stone, "and yet I
treat it thus!" (He tossed it contemptuously into the sea.) "Is that
worth Flatlander blood? would you kill me for _that_? shall Eskimo wives
and mothers weep, and children mourn and starve for a useless rock in
the sea."

"You always thwart me, Teyma," said Grabantak, trying to suppress a
burst of wrath, which he was well aware his fearless minister did not
mind in the least. "It is true this island is not worth the shake of a
puffin's tail; but if we allow the Poloe men to take it--"

"To keep it," mildly suggested Teyma, "they have long had it."

"Well, to keep it, if you will," continued the chief testily; "will not
other tribes say that the old name of the Flatlander