experienced before reaching the other side. Reach it they did, however,
in a very panting and dishevelled condition, and it said much for Red
Rooney's tailoring capacity that the black dress coat was not riven to
pieces in the process.

"Look; help me. Shove me here," said Tumbler, as he laid hold of a
block which formed the last difficulty.

Pussi helped and shoved to the best of her small ability, so that
Tumbler soon found himself on a ledge which communicated with the
sea-ice. Seizing Pussi by her top-knot of hair, he hauled while she
scrambled, until he caught a hand, then an arm, then her tail, finally
one of her legs, and at last deposited her, flushed and panting, at his
side. After a few minutes' rest they began to run--perhaps it were more
correct to say waddle--in the direction of "ze g'een cave."

Now it chanced that the said cave was haunted at that time, not by
torngaks or other ghosts, but by two men, one of whom at least was
filled with an evil spirit.

Ujarak, having ascertained that Okiok had joined the hunting party, and
that the Kablunet had reached the village, resolved to make a daring
attempt to carry off the fair Nunaga from the very midst of her female
friends, and for this purpose sought and found his dupe Ippegoo, whom he
sent off to the green cave to await his arrival.

"We must not go together," he said, "for we might be suspected; but you
will go off to hunt seals to the south, and I will go out on the floes
to consult my torngak."

"But, master, if I go to the south after seals, how can we ever meet at
the green cave?"

"O stupid one! Do you not understand that you are only to pretend to go
south? When you are well out of sight, then turn north, and make for
the berg. You will find me there."

Without further remark the stupid one went off, and in process of time
the master and pupil met at the appointed rendezvous.

The entrance to the cavern was light, owing to the transparency of the
ice, and farther in it assumed that lovely bluish-green colour from
which it derived its name; but the profound depths, which had never yet
been fathomed, were as black as ebony--forming a splendid background,
against which the icicles and crystal edges of the entrance were
beautifully and sharply defined.

Retiring sufficiently far within this natural grotto to be safe from
observation in the event of any one chancing to pass by, the wizard
looked earnestly into the anxious countenance