One day when he had been out as usual in his kayak, without even
sight of a seal, he said:

"It is no use my trying to be a hunter, for I never catch anything. I
may as well make up some lie or other."

And at the same moment he noticed that one of his fellow-villagers
was towing a big black seal over to an island, to land it there before
going out for more. When that seal had been brought to land, Qasiagssaq
rowed round behind the man, and stole it, and towed it back home.

His wife was looking out for him, going outside every now and then to
look if he were in sight. And thus it was that coming out, she caught
sight of a kayak coming in with something in tow. She shaded her eyes
with both hands, one above the other, and looked through between them,
gazing eagerly to try if she could make out who it was. The kayak
with its seal in tow came rowing in, and she kept going out to look,
and at last, when she came out as usual, she could see that it was
really and truly Qasiagssaq, coming home with his catch in tow.

"Here is Qasiagssaq has made a catch," cried his fellow-villagers. And
when he came in, they saw that he had a great black seal in tow,
with deep black markings all over the body. And the tow-line was
thick with trappings of the finest narwhal tusk.

"Where did you get that tow-line?" they asked.

"I have had it a long time," he answered, "but have never used it
before to-day."

After they had hauled the seal to land, his wife cut out the belly
part, and when that was done, she shared out so much blubber and meat
to the others that there was hardly anything left for themselves. And
then she set about cooking a meal, with a shoulder-blade for a lamp,
and another for a pot. And every time a kayak came in, they told the
newcomer that Qasiagssaq had got a big black seal.

At last there was but one kayak still out, and when that one came in,
they told him the same thing: "Qasiagssaq has actually got a big seal."

But this last man said when they told him:

"I got a big black seal to-day, and hauled it up on an island. But
when I went back to fetch it, it was gone."

The others said again:

"The tow-line which Qasiagssaq was using to-day was furnished with
toggles of pure narwhal tusk."

Later in the evening, Qasiagssaq heard a voice calling in at the
window:

"You, Qasiagssaq, I have come to ask if you will give back that
tow-line."

Qasiagssaq sprang up and said:

"Here it is; you may take it b