ympathy.
They longed to speak words of comfort, but at first delicacy of feeling,
which is found in all ranks and under every skin, prevented them from
intruding on sorrow which they knew not how to assuage.

At last the giant ventured one day to speak to Alf. "Has the Great
Spirit no word of comfort for His Kablunet children?" he asked.

"Yes, yes," replied Alf quickly. "He says, `Call upon me in the time of
trouble and I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me.'"

"Have you not called?" asked Chingatok with a slight look of surprise.

"No; I say it to my shame, Chingatok. This blow has so stunned me that
I had forgotten my God."

"Call now," said the giant earnestly. "If He is a good and true God, He
must keep His promise."

Alf did call, then and there, and the Eskimo stood and listened with
bowed head and reverent look, until the poor youth had concluded his
prayer with the name of Jesus.

The negro's line of argument with Benjy was different and
characteristically lower toned.

"You muss keep up de heart, Massa Benjy. Nobody nebber knows wot may
come for to pass. P'r'aps Massa Leo he go to de Nort Pole by hisself.
He was allers bery fond o' takin' peepil by surprise. Nebber say die,
Massa Benjy, s'long's der's a shot in de locker."

At any other time Benjy would have laughed at the poor cook's efforts to
console him, but he only turned away with a sigh.

Two days after that the Eskimos of Poloe were assembled on the beach
making preparations to go off on a seal hunt.

"Is that a whale on the horizon or a walrus!" asked the Captain,
touching Chingatok on the arm as they stood on the edge of the sea,
ready to embark.

"More like a black gull," said Benjy, "or a northern diver."

Chingatok looked long and earnestly at the object in question, and then
said with emphasis--"A kayak!"

"One of the young men returning from a hunt, I suppose," said Alf, whose
attention was aroused by the interest manifested by the surrounding
Eskimos.

"Not so," said Amalatok, who joined the group at the moment, "the man
paddles like a man of Flatland."

"What! one of your enemies?" cried the Captain, who, in his then state
of depression, would have welcomed a fight as a sort of relief.
Evidently Butterface shared his hopes, for he showed the whites of his
eyes and grinned amazingly as he clenched his horny hands.

"Yes--our enemies," said Amalatok.

"The advanced guard of the host," said the Captain, hear