lightly inwards. I tugged
again. It came further in. A new thought came to me suddenly. This
was curious, for, you know, that never since I was a little child have
my thoughts been quick, and very seldom new. But somehow the thought
came--without the aid of my torngak too! I tugged away at that tail
with all my might. It came further and further in each tug. At last I
got it in as far as the stomach. I was perspiring all over. Suddenly I
felt a terrific heave. I guessed what that was. The walrus was sick,
and was trying to vomit his own tail! It was awful! Each heave brought
me nearer to the mouth. But now the difficulty of moving the mass that
I had managed to get inside had become so great that I felt the thing to
be quite beyond my power, and that I must leave the rest to nature.
Still, however, I continued the tugging, in order to keep up the
sickness--also to keep me employed, for whenever I paused to recover
breath I was forced to resume work to prevent my fainting away
altogether, being so terrified at the mere thought of my situation. To
be inside a walrus is bad enough, but to be inside of a sick walrus!--my
friends, I cannot describe it.

"Suddenly there was a heave that almost rent the ribs of the creature
apart. Like an arrow from a bow, I was shot out upon the ice, and with
a clap like thunder that walrus turned inside out! And then," said
Simek, with glaring solemnity, "I awoke--for it was all a dream!"

There was a gasp and cheer of delight at this, mingled with prolonged
laughter, for now the most obtuse even among the children understood
that Simek had been indulging in a tale of the imagination, while those
whose wits were sharper saw and enjoyed the sly hits which had been
launched at Ujarak throughout. Indeed the wizard himself condescended
to smile at the conclusion, for the tale being a dream, removed from it
the only objectionable part in his estimation, namely, that any torngak,
great or small, would condescend to have intercourse with one who was
not an angekok.

"Now," cried Okiok, starting up, "bring more meat; we are hungry again."

"Huk! huk!" exclaimed the assenting company.

"And when we are stuffed," continued Okiok, "we will be glad to hear
what the Kablunet has to tell about his own land."

The approval of this suggestion was so decided and hearty, that Red
Rooney felt it to be his duty to gratify his hospitable friends to the
utmost of his power. Accordingly h