assert. Some there were
among his hearers who understood the man well, and guessed what was
coming; others there were who, having begun by thinking him in jest, now
grew serious, under the impression that he was in earnest; but by far
the greater number believed every word he said. All, however, remained
in expectant silence while he gravely went on:--

"My friends, you will not doubt me when I say that it was very hot
inside of that walrus. I stripped myself, but was still too hot. Then
I sat down on one of his ribs to think. Suddenly it occurred to me to
draw my knife and cut myself out. To my dismay, I found that my knife
had been lost in the struggle when I was swallowed. I was in despair,
for you all know, my friends, how impossible it is to cut up a walrus,
either from out or inside, without a knife. In my agony I seized the
monster's heart, and tried to tear it; but it was too hard-hearted for
that. The effort only made the creature tremble and jump, which I found
inconvenient. I also knew from the curious muffled sound outside that
it was roaring. I sat down again on a rib to consider. If I had been a
real angekok, my torngak no doubt would have helped me at that time--but
he did not."

"How could you have a torngak at all if you are not a _real_ angekok?"
demanded the wizard, in a tone that savoured of contempt.

"You shall hear. Patience!" returned Simek quietly, and then went on:--

"I had not sat long when I knew by the motions of the beast that he was
travelling over the ice--no doubt making for his water-hole. `If he
gets into the sea,' I thought, `it will be the end of me.' I knew, of
course, that he could not breathe under water, and that he could hold
his breath so long that before he came up again for fresh air I should
be suffocated. My feelings became dreadful. I hope, my friends, that
you will never be in a situation like it. In my despair I rushed about
from the head to the tail. I must have hurt him dreadfully in doing
so--at least I thought so, from the way he jumped about. Once or twice
I was tossed from side to side as if he was rolling over. You know I am
a man of tender heart. My wife says that, so it must be true; but my
heart was hardened by that time; I cared not. I cared for nothing!

"Suddenly I saw a small sinew, in the form of a loop, close to the
creature's tail. As a last hope, without knowing why, I seized it and
tugged. The tail, to my surprise, came s