ther. The chords of sympathetic humour had vibrated within them in
harmony. They were thenceforward _en rapport_, and felt towards each
other like brothers, or rather like father and son, for Okiok was
forty-five years of age at least, while Rooney was not yet thirty.

"He's a very bad man, is he not?" asked the seaman, when the heaving of
the shoulders had subsided.

"Ho! yes. Bad, bad! _very_ bad! He lies, and steals, and cheats, and
talks nonsense, and wants Nunaga for a wife."

"And you don't want him for a son?"

"No!"--very decidedly.

Rooney laughed, and, turning away with a wink and a nod, lay down to
sleep--this time in earnest. Okiok responded with a falsetto chuckle,
after which he proceeded to solace himself with a mass of half-cooked
blubber. Observing that Tumbler was regarding him with longing looks,
he good-naturedly cut off part of the savoury morsel, and handed it to
the child. It is well-known that the force of example is strong--
stronger than that of precept. In a few minutes the entire family set
to work again on the viands with as much gusto as though they had eaten
little or nothing for a week.

Leaving them thus pleasantly and profitably occupied, let us follow
Ujarak to his village.

Every man and woman of superior intelligence in this world has probably
one blind worshipper, if not more--some weak brother who admires,
believes in, perhaps envies, but always bows to the demigod. Such a
worshipper had Ujarak in Ippegoo, a tall young man, of weak physical
frame, and still weaker mental capacity.

Ippegoo was not malevolent, like his master, but he was sufficiently
wicked to laugh at his evil doings, and to assist him in his various
plans, in the implicit belief that he was aiding a great and wise man.
He did so all the more readily that he himself aimed at the high and
dignified office of an angekok, an aspiration which had at first been
planted in him, and afterwards been carefully encouraged by his
deceiver, because it made his dupe, if possible, a blinder and more
willing tool.

"Ippegoo," said Ujarak, on drawing near to the outskirts of his village,
and coming unexpectedly on his satellite, who was in the act of dragging
home a seal which he had just killed, "I meet you in the nick of time--
but that is no wonder, for did not my torngak tell me he would cause you
to meet me near the village? I want your assistance just now."

"I am glad, then, that we have met," said Ipp