Part 11 (1/2)

Menie was still holding tight to the line that held the big seal.

Kesshoo threw him another line. Menie caught the end of it.

”Now tie the big seal's line fast to that,” Kesshoo said. Menie was a very small boy, but he knew how to tie knots. He did just what his father told him to.

”Now,” said his father, ”pull up the harpoon.” Menie did so. ”Tie the harpoon line to the little seal.” Menie did that. ”Now throw the harpoon to me,” commanded Kesshoo.

Menie threw it with all his might. His father caught it, and stood on the firm ice, holding in his hands the line that the big seal was tied to, and the harpoon, with its line fastened to the little seal.

”Now hold on to the little seal, and I will pull you right up against the solid ice, and when I say 'Jump,' you jump,” said Kesshoo.

Slowly and very, carefully he pulled, until the raft grated against the solid ice.

”Jump!” shouted Kesshoo.

Menie jumped. The ice raft gave a lurch that nearly sent him into the water, but Kesshoo caught him and pulled him to safety.

A great shout of joy went up from the sh.o.r.e, and Menie was glad enough to shout too when he felt solid ice under his feet once more!

While he helped his father pull in the little seal, all the people came running out on to the ice to meet them, but Kesshoo sent back every one except Koko's father. He was afraid the ice might break again with so many people on it. Koko's father helped pull the big seal out of the water and over the ice to the beach.

Menie dragged his own little seal after him by the harpoon line, and when he came near the beach, the people all cried out, ”See the great hunter with his game!” And Koolee was so glad to see Menie and so proud of her boy that she nearly burst with joy!

”I knew the charm would work,” she cried. ”Not only does he spy bears--he kills seals! And he only five years old!”

She put her arms around him and pressed her flat nose to his. That's the Eskimo way of kissing.

Menie tried to look as if he killed seals and got carried away on an ice pan every day in the week, but inside he felt very proud, too.

When Kesshoo and Koko's father came up with the big seal, Koolee and the other women dragged it to the village, where it was skinned and cut up. Every one had a piece of raw blubber to eat at once, and the very first piece went to Menie.

While they were eating it, Koko came back. He had gone so far up the sh.o.r.e hunting little auks that he hadn't seen a thing that had happened. And he hadn't killed any little auks either.

Koko felt that things were very unequally divided in this world. He wanted to kill a seal and get lost on a raft and be a hero too.

But Koolee gave him a large piece of blubber, and that made him feel much more cheerful again. He just said to Monnie, ”If I had been with Menie, this never would have happened! I should not have let him get so near the edge of the ice! But then, you know, I am six, and he is only five, so, of course, he didn't know any better.”

Everybody in the village had seal meat that night, and the Angakok had the head, which they all thought was the best part. He said he didn't feel very well, and his Tornak had told him nothing would cure him so quickly as a seal's head. So Koolee gave it to him.

The skin of the little white seal Koolee saved and dressed very carefully. She chewed it, all over, on the wrong side, and sucked out all the blubber, and made it soft and fine as velvet; and when that was done, she made out of it two beautiful pairs of white mittens for the twins.

VIII. THE WOMAN-BOATS

THE WOMAN-BOATS

I.

During the long, dark hours of the winter Kesshoo found many pleasant things to do at home. He was always busy. He carved a doll for Monnie out of the ivory tusk of a walrus.