Fortunately, Arnalooa caught her by the dress and partially
broke her fall, but the descent was sufficiently steep and rugged to
render the child insensible.

When Edith recovered consciousness, her first emotion was that of
terror, on beholding a large, dark-bearded face bending over her; but a
second glance showed her that the eyes of the stranger gazed upon her
with a look of tenderness, and that Arnalooa and Okatook were kneeling
beside her with an expression of anxiety. Had anything further been
wanting to allay her fears, the sight of Chimo would have done it. It
is true the sturdy dog panted heavily, and occasionally licked his
wounds, as he sat on his haunches at her feet; but he was wonderfully
calm and collected after his recent mortal conflict, and regarded his
young mistress from time to time with an air of patronising assurance.

As Edith opened her eyes, the stranger muttered some unintelligible
words, and, rising hastily, went to a neighbouring spring, at which he
filled a rude cup with water. In doing this, he revealed the huge
proportions of the gigantic Esquimau whom we introduced to our reader in
a former chapter. He was dressed in the same manner as when we first
saw him, but his face was somewhat altered, and his black eyebrows were
marked by that peculiar curve which is expressive of deep melancholy.
Returning quickly from the spring, he kneeled beside the little girl,
and, raising her head on his broad hand, held the goblet to her lips.

"Thank you," said Edith faintly, as she swallowed a few drops; "I think
I had better go home. Is Chimo safe? Chimo!" She started up as the
recollection of the fight with the wolf flashed upon her; but the fall
had stunned her rather severely, and scarcely had she risen to her feet
when she staggered and fell back into the arms of the Esquimau.

Seeing that she was quite unable to walk, he raised her in his powerful
arm as if she had been a young lamb. Catching the dead wolf by the neck
as he passed, and springing from rock to rock with catlike agility, he
bore his burden down the ravine, and strode towards the fort under the
guidance of Okatook and Arnalooa.

CHAPTER TWENTY TWO.

MAXIMUS--DEER SPEARING--A SURPRISINGLY BAD SHOT--CHARACTER OF THE
NATIVES.

"Hallo! what have we here?" exclaimed Stanley, starting from his seat in
amazement, as the giant entered the hall of Fort Chimo--his left hand
grasping a blood-stained wolf by the throat, and Ed