the Indian girl as one of his wives.

"You know, mother," was Cheenbuk's reply, "I have always differed from
my friends about wives. I think that one wife is enough for one man;
sometimes too much for him! I also think that if it is fair for a man
to choose a woman, it is also fair for the woman to choose the man. I
would gladly take Adolay for a wife, for she is good as well as pretty,
but I do not know that she would take me for a husband."

"Have you not asked her, then?" persisted Mrs Mangivik.

"No. I have been till now her protector. I can wait. If she wants to
return to her people I have promised to take her to them."

"But surely my son is not bound to keep a promise given to one of our
fire-spouting enemies?"

"That may seem right to you, mother, but it seems wrong to me. I do not
understand why I disagree with you, and with most of my people, but
there is something inside of me which, I think, is _not_ me. It tells
me not to do many things that I want to do, and sometimes bids me go
forward when I wish to draw back. What it is I cannot tell, but I must
not disobey it, I _will not_ disobey it."

With this answer the old lady had to be content, for she could extract
nothing more from her son after that but a smile.

As for old Mangivik, he asked and said nothing, but he thought much.

A few days after Cheenbuk's arrival, it was arranged by the heads of the
village that there should be a general scattering of the tribe for a
great hunt after seals and wild-fowl, as provisions were not so
plentiful as might have been desired. An expedition of this kind was
always hailed with great glee by Anteek, whose youth and very excitable
disposition were not easily satisfied with the prosaic details of
village life.

Previous to setting out, however, an event occurred which was well-nigh
attended with disastrous consequences.

It had been arranged that Cheenbuk and his friends Oolalik and Anteek
should keep together in their kayaks, accompanied by an oomiak to carry
the game. This woman's boat was to be manned, so to speak, by young
Uleeta, Cowlik, and two other girls. Adolay had been offered a place in
it, but she preferred going in her own bark canoe, with the management
of which she was familiar. Perhaps a touch of national pride had
something to do with this preference of the Indian craft. Nootka, who
had made several trials of the canoe, was judged sufficiently expert to
wield the bow paddle.