vigilance. As for Agnew, he took it all in the most
unsuspicious manner. He made signs to them, shook hands with them,
accepted their gifts, and even tried to do the agreeable to the
formidable hags and the child-fiends around him. He soon attracted the
chief attention, and while all looked admiringly upon him, I was left
to languish in comparative neglect.

At length a savory odor came through the cave, and a repast was spread
before us. It consisted of some large fowl that looked like a goose,
but was twice as large as the largest turkey that I had ever seen. The
taste was like that of a wild-goose, but rather fishy. Still to us it
seemed delicious, for our prolonged diet of raw seal had made us ready
to welcome any other food whatever; and this fowl, whatever it was,
would not have been unwelcome to any hungry man. It was evident that
these people lived on the flesh of birds of various sorts. All around
us we saw the skins of birds dried with the feathers on, and used for
clothing, for mats, and for ornaments.

The repast being finished, we both felt greatly strengthened and
refreshed. Agnew continued to cultivate his new acquaintances, and
seeing me holding back, he said,

"More, old fellow, these good people give me to understand that there
is another place better than this, and want me to go with them. Will
you go?"

At this a great fear seized me.

"Don't go!" I cried--"don't go! We are close by the boat here, and if
anything happens we can easily get to it."

Agnew laughed in my face.

"Why, you don't mean to tell me," said he, "that you are still
suspicious, and after that dinner? Why, man, if they wanted to harm
us, would they feast us in this style? Nonsense, man! Drop your
suspicions and come along."

I shook my head obstinately.

"Well," said he, "if I thought there was anything in your suspicions I
would stay by you; but I'm confident they mean nothing but kindness,
so I'm going off to see the place."

"You'll be back again?" said I.

"Oh yes," said he, "of course I'll come back, and sleep here."

With these words he left, and nearly all the people accompanied him. I
was left behind with the women and children and about a dozen men.
These men busied themselves with some work over bird-skins; the women
were occupied with some other work over feathers. No one took any
notice of me. There did not seem to be any restraint upon me, nor was
I watched in any way. Once the nightmare hag came and o