e sweeping
towards them.

The crestfallen youth fitted another spear to the handle--for he carried
several--and launched it in desperation into the middle of the flock.
It ruffled the wings of one bird, and sent it screaming up the cliffs,
but brought down none.

"Boo!" exclaimed the wizard, varying the expression of his contempt.
"It is well that your mother has only a small family."

Ippegoo was accustomed to severe backhanders from his patron; he was not
offended, but smiled in a pathetic manner as he went out in silence to
pick up his weapons.

Just as he was returning, Arbalik, nephew to the jovial Simek, appeared
upon the scene, and joined them. The wizard appeared to be slightly
annoyed, but had completely dissembled his feelings when the young man
walked up.

"Have the hunters found no seals?" asked Ujarak.

"Yes, plenty," answered Arbalik cheerily, for he had a good deal of his
old uncle's spirit in him, "but you know variety is agreeable. Birds
are good at a feast. They enable you to go on eating when you can hold
no more seal or walrus blubber."

"That is true," returned the wizard, with a grave nod of appreciation.
"Show Ippegoo how to dart the spear. He is yet a baby!"

Arbalik laughed lightly as he let fly a spear with a jaunty, almost
careless, air, and transfixed a bird on the wing.

"Well done!" cried the wizard, with a burst of genuine admiration; "your
wife will never know hunger."

"Not after I get her," returned the youth, with a laugh, as he flung
another spear, and transfixed a second bird.

Ippegoo looked on with slightly envious but not malevolent feelings, for
he was a harmless lad.

"Try again," cried Arbalik, turning to him with a broad grin, as he
offered him one of his own spears.

Ippegoo took the weapon, launched it, and, to his own great surprise and
delight, sent it straight through the heart of a bird, which fell like a
stone.

A shout of pleasure burst from Arbalik, who was far too good a shot to
entertain mean feelings of jealousy at the success of others.

"It is the luck of the spear," said Ujarak, "not the skill of the
hunter."

This would have been an unkind cut to ordinary mortals, but it fell as
harmless on Ippegoo as water on the back of the eider-duck. A snub from
the wizard he took almost as a compliment, and the mere success of his
shot afforded him unbounded pleasure.

The good-natured Arbalik offered him another spear, but Ujarak
interposed.