equivalent--mending his waterproof boots. These
were made of undressed sealskin, with soles of walrus hide; and the
pleasant-faced little woman was stitching together the sides of a rent
in the upper leather, using a fine sharp fish-bone as a needle and a
delicate shred of sinew as a thread, when her son entered.

"Mother," he said in a somewhat excited tone, as he sat down beside his
maternal parent, "I go to the hut of Okiok."

Kunelik bestowed an inquiring glance upon her boy.

"Ippe," she said, (for Eskimos sometimes use endearing abbreviations),
"has Nunaga turned you upside down?"

The lad protested fervently that his head was yet in its proper
position. "But," he added, "the mother of Oki--no, the grandmother of
Okiok--is sick--very sick--and I am to go and fetch the mother of--no, I
mean the daughter of--of Okiok, to see her, because--because--"

"Take time, Ippe," interrupted Kunelik; "I see that your head is down,
and your boots are in the air."

Again Ippegoo protested earnestly that he was in the reverse position,
and that Nunaga was no more to him than the snout of a seal; but he
protested in vain, for his pleasant little mother believed that she
understood the language of symptoms, and nodded her disbelief smilingly.

"But why do you say that Kannoa is very ill, Ippe?" she asked; "I have
just come from her hut where she was seemingly quite well. Moreover,
she has agreed to sup this very night with the mother of Arbalik, and
she could not do that if she was ill, for that means much stuffing,
because the mother of Arbalik has plenty of food and cooks it very
fast."

"Oh, but it is not Kannoa's body that is ill," said Ippegoo quickly; "it
is her mind that is ill--very ill; and nothing will make it better but a
sight of Nunaga. It was Ujarak that told me so; and you know, mother,
that whatever he says _must_ be true somehow, whether it be true or
not."

"Ujarak is a fool," said Kunelik quietly; "and you are another, my son."

We must again remind the reader here that the Eskimos are a simple as
well as straightforward folk. They say what they mean and mean what
they say, without the smallest intention of hurting each other's
feelings.

"And, mother," continued the son, scarce noticing her remark, "I want
you to prepare for a journey."

Kunelik looked surprised.

"Where to, my son?"

"It matters not just now. You shall know in time. Will you get ready?"

"No, my son, I won't."

"But