hand, caught him on the haunch as he entered the
tunnel, and caused him to utter such a piercing howl that Red Rooney not
only awoke, but sat bolt upright, and gazed at the horrified Eskimos
inquiringly.

Evidently the seaman was touched with a sense of the ludicrous, for he
merely smiled and lay down again. But he did not try to sleep. Having
been by that time thoroughly refreshed, he began to sniff the scent of
savoury food as the war-horse is said to scent the battle from afar--
that is, with an intense longing to "go at it." Okiok, guessing the
state of his feelings, brought him a walrus rib.

Red Rooney accepted it, and began to eat at once without the use of
knife or fork.

"Thankee, friend. It's the same I'll do for yourself if you ever come
to starvation point when I've got a crust to spare."

Charmed beyond measure at hearing their native tongue from the mouth of
a foreigner, the stare of the whole party became more intense, and for a
few moments they actually ceased to chew--a sure sign that they were, so
to speak, transfixed with interest.

"My man," said Rooney, after a few minutes' intense application to the
rib, "what is your name?"

"Okiok," replied the Eskimo.

"Okiok," muttered the seaman to himself in English; "why, that's the
Eskimo word for winter." Then, after a few minutes' further attention
to the rib, "Why did they name you after the cold season o' the year?"

"I know not," said Okiok. "When my father named me I was very small,
and could not ask his reason. He never told any one. Before I was old
enough to ask, a bear killed him. My mother thought it was because the
winter when I was born was very cold and long."

Again the hungry man applied himself to the rib, and nothing more was
said till it was finished. Feeling still somewhat fatigued, Rooney
settled himself among his furs in a more upright position, and gave his
attention to the natives, who instantly removed their eyes from him, and
resumed eating with a will. Of course they could not restrain furtive
glances, but they had ceased to stare.

In a few minutes Okiok paused, and in turn became the questioner.

"No Kablunet ever came here before," he said. "We are glad to see you;
but why do you come, and why alone, and why starving?"

"Not very easy to answer these questions off-hand to the likes of you,"
said Rooney. "However, I'll try. You've heard of the settlements--the
traders--no doubt, in the far-off land o