.

"Ah! Chingatok," said Leo one day, when the returning spring had begun
to revive his strength, "I never felt such a love for God's Book when I
was well and strong as I feel for it now that I am ill, and I little
thought that I should find out so much of its value while talking about
it to an Eskimo. I shall be sorry to leave you, Chingatok--very sorry."

"The young Kablunet is not yet going to die," said the giant in a soft
voice.

"I did not mean that," replied Leo, with the ghost of his former hearty
laugh; "I mean that I shall be obliged to leave Flatland and to return
to my own home as soon as the season permits. Captain Vane has been
talking to me about it. He is anxious now to depart, yet sorry to leave
his kind and hospitable friends."

"I, too, am sorry," returned Chingatok sadly. "No more shall I hear
from your lips the sweet words of my Great Father--the story of Jesus.
You will take your book away with you."

"That is true, my friend; and it would be useless to leave my Bible with
you, as you could not read it, but the _truth_ will remain with you,
Chingatok."

"Yes," replied the giant with a significant smile, "you cannot take
_that_ away. It is here--and here." He touched his forehead and breast
as he spoke. Then he continued:--

"These strange things that Alf has been trying to teach me during the
long nights I have learned--I understand."

He referred here to a syllabic alphabet which Alf had invented, and
which he had amused himself by teaching to some of the natives, so that
they might write down and read those few words and messages in their own
tongue which formerly they had been wont to convey to each other by
means of signs and rude drawings--after the manner of most savages.

"Well, what about that?" asked Leo, as his companion paused.

"Could not my friend," replied Chingatok, "change some of the words of
his book into the language of the Eskimo and mark them down?"

Leo at once jumped at the idea. Afterwards he spoke to Alf about it,
and the two set to work to translate some of the most important passages
of Scripture, and write them down in the syllable alphabet. For this
purpose they converted a sealskin into pretty fair parchment, and wrote
with the ink which Captain Vane had brought with him and carefully
husbanded. The occupation proved a beneficial stimulus to the invalid,
who soon recovered much of his wonted health, and even began again to
wander about with his