the subject of discourse just
then by a further movement of the pack-ice.

"See, the lanes of open water widen," exclaimed Okiok eagerly, pointing
seaward.

"Perhaps," said Egede, "God intends to deliver us."

"Have you prayed to be delivered?" asked Angut quickly.

"Yes, I have."

"Suppose," continued the inquisitive Eskimo, "that God does _not_
deliver you, but leaves you here to die. Would _that_ be answering your
prayer?"

"Yes; for instead of granting my request in the way I wished, namely,
that I might be permitted to live and preach about the Great Spirit to
your countrymen for many years, He would have answered my prayer for
deliverance by taking me away from _all_ evil, to be with Jesus, _which
is far better_."

To the surprise of the missionary, a look of disappointment settled on
the face of Angut.

"What ails you?" he asked.

"From what you say," returned the Eskimo, somewhat coldly, "I see that,
with you, _whatever_ happens is best; _nothing_ can be wrong. There is
something which tells me here,"--he placed his hand on his breast--"that
that is not true."

"You misunderstand me, friend," said Egede; "I did not say that nothing
can be wrong. What I do say is that whatever God does is and must be
right. But God has given to man a free will, and with his free will
_man_ does wrong. It is just to save man from this wrong-doing that
Jesus came to earth."

"Free will?" murmured the Eskimo, with a recurrence of the perplexed
look. And well might that look recur, for his untrained yet
philosophical mind had been brought for the first time face to face with
the great insoluble problem of the ages.

"Yes," said Egede, "you have got hold of a thought which no man has ever
yet been able to fathom. Free will is a great mystery, nevertheless
every child knows that it is a great _fact_."

From this point Angut seemed to commune only with his own spirit, for he
put no more questions. At the same time the opening up of the pack
rendered the less philosophical among the Eskimos anxious to make some
practical efforts for their deliverance.

At Rooney's suggestion it was arranged that the boldest of the men
should take the missionary's boat--a very small one that could not carry
above a third of the party,--and examine the leads of open water, until
they should ascertain whether they seemed safe or practicable; then
return at once, and, if the report should be favourable, begin by taking
off the wom