ately vessel that had thus ended her final voyage.

CHAPTER THIRTY.

A DECLARATION, AN INTERRUPTION, AND A GREAT FIGHT.

The loss which the Eskimos sustained in the destruction of the ship was
in one sense considerable, for the woodwork about her would have been of
immense value to them; nevertheless their gains in what had already been
stored were very great, so that they were able to regard their losses
with philosophic composure.

The weeks that followed--weeks of ever increasing light and warmth--were
spent in examining and sorting their material into packages suitable for
transport on sledges to their summer quarters at Waruskeek.

And here again the knowledge possessed by Nazinred of the habits and
implements of the white men was of great service. Adolay also helped to
instruct, for when among the sail-maker's tools they found a number of
the finer sort of needles and threads, as well as a few feminine
thimbles, so to speak, she was able to show the women at once how to use
them, and thus saved them from the trouble of puzzling out the matter
for themselves.

"What is this?" asked Anteek of Nazinred one day, presenting a file
which he had just picked up.

"That is a thing," replied the Indian, who, being ignorant of the names
of most tools, got over the difficulty by calling all objects
"things"--"that is a thing made for cutting iron with; rubbing it down
and cutting it short. It cuts things that are too hard for a knife."

"I think," returned the boy, regarding it attentively, "we might try it
on Aglootook's nose. That wants cutting short, and rubbing down too,
for it seems very hard to look at it."

Nazinred did not smile. He was slow to understand a joke. Perhaps he
thought it a poor one, but Cheenbuk appreciated it, and met it with the
suggestion that an axe might be more effective.

They were gravely debating this point in front of the snow stores, when
Ondikik came up and asked when it was likely that a start would be made
for home, as he styled their old winter village.

"Go and ask Mangivik. When he gives the order I'm ready," said
Cheenbuk.

"Don't say a word to Aglootook," said Anteek, as the young man turned to
go; "he will be sure to say that _something_ will happen if you do."

"Yes, and as something always does happen," remarked Cheenbuk, "he's
sure to be right, the moosquat."

"Moo-squat" seemed to be used as a term of extreme contempt; it may not
therefore be incorrect t