HE GIANT'S DESPAIR.

When the young Esquimau began to recover from the lethargic state into
which his wound had thrown him, he found himself lying at the bottom of
the women's oomiak with his old grandfather by his side, and a noisy
crew of children and dogs around him. Raising himself on his elbow, he
brushed the clotted blood and hair from his temples, and endeavoured to
recall his scattered faculties. Seeing this, the old crone who had
saved his life laid down her paddle and handed him a sealskin cup of
water, which he seized and drank with avidity. Fortunately the wound on
his forehead, although it had stunned him severely at first, was
trifling, and in a few minutes after partaking of the cool water, he
recovered sufficiently to sit up and look around him.

Gradually his faculties returned, and he started up with a troubled
look.

"Where are the Allat? Where is my wife?" he exclaimed vehemently, as
his eye fell on the prostrate form of his still insensible grandfather.

"Gone," answered several of the women.

"Gone!" repeated the youth, gazing wildly among the faces around him in
search of that of his wife. "Gone! Tell me, is she in one of the other
oomiaks?"

The women trembled as they answered, "No."

"Have the Allat got her?"

There was no reply to this question, but he did not need one. Springing
like a tiger to the stern of the oomiak, he seized the steering paddle,
and turning the head of the boat towards the shore, paddled with all his
energy. Nearly two hours had elapsed since they had commenced their
flight, and as all danger of pursuit was over the moment the Indians
turned their backs on the sea, the Esquimaux had gradually edged
in-shore again, so that a few minutes sufficed to run the prow of the
oomiak on the shingle of the beach. Without saying a word, the young
man sprang over the side, drew a hunting-spear from the bottom of the
boat, and hurried back in the direction of the deserted village at the
top of his speed. The women knew that nothing could stop him, and
feeling that he was quite able to take care of himself, they quietly put
to sea again, and continued their voyage.

The limbs of the young Esquimau, as we have already said, were gigantic
and powerful, enabling him to traverse the country at a pace which few
of his fellows could keep up with; and although a stern-chase is
proverbially a long one, and the distance between two parties travelling
in opposite directions is