is
youth's feelings were too much for him. He stared in admiration at the
girl, apparently oblivious of the rib, and sighed profoundly. Then he
suddenly recovered himself, appeared to forget the girl, and applied
himself tooth and nail to the rib. Could anything be more natural--even
in a European prince?

Nootka did not speak--young women seldom do among savages, at least in
the company of men,--but she looked many and very unutterable things,
which it is impossible, and would not be fair, to translate.

"Will the others be back soon?" asked Mangivik.

Oolalik looked over the rib and nodded. (In this last, also, there was
indication of homogeneity.)

"Have they got much meat?"

Again the young man nodded.

"Good. There is nothing like meat, and plenty of it."

The old man proceeded to illustrate his belief in the sentiment by
devoting himself to a steak of satisfying dimensions. His better-half
meanwhile took up the conversation.

"Is Gartok with them?" she asked.

"Yes, he is with them," said the youth, who, having finished the rib,
threw away the bone and looked across the lamp at Nootka, as if asking
for another. The girl had one ready, and handed it to him.

Again Oolalik was overcome. He forgot the food and stared, so that
Nootka dropped her eyes, presumably in some confusion; but once more the
force of hunger brought the youth round and he resumed his meal.

"Has Gartok killed much?" continued the inquisitive Mrs Mangivik.

"I know nothing about Gartok," replied the young man, a stern look
taking the place of his usually kind expression; "I don't trouble my
head about him when I am hunting."

He fastened his teeth somewhat savagely in the second rib at this point.

"Do you know," said Mangivik, pausing in his occupation, "that Gartok
has been trying to get the young men to go to the Whale River, where you
know there are plenty of birds and much wood? He wants to fight with
the Fire-spouters."

"Yes, I know it. Gartok is always for fighting and quarrelling. He
likes it."

"Don't you think," said the old man suggestively, "that you could give
him a chance of getting what he likes without going so far from home?"

"No, I don't choose to fight for the sake of pleasing every fool who
delights to brag and look fierce."

Mrs Mangivik laughed at this, and her daughter giggled, but the old man
shook his head as if he had hoped better things of the young one. He
said no more, however, and