a heavy sinking at his heart. He saw the big blond-bearded men
chucking the little women under their chins. Their method of kissing
was strange and repugnant to him. Accustomed only to the chaste
touching of a maiden's face, the kiss of the white men he instinctively
regarded as unnameably unclean. He resented their freedom with the
women. But, children of the heart and brain, primitive, innocent, the
women did not understand the white men's strange behavior. And the
husbands, not comprehending, did not care. A gun, ammunition, a few
boxes of matches--these constituted wealth in value exceeding a wife.
Now and then Ootah saw some of the visitors raising flasks to their
lips. Then their hilarity rang out more boisterously.
When they saw the kayaks approaching the shore the strangers shouted.
The hunters replied. Only Ootah remained silent. Disapproving of the
spectacle, his thoughts were busier elsewhere; his heart glowed.
"Ho, ho, what there?" some called.
"_Aveq soah_," Maisanguaq replied.
"Jolly for you!" shouted a Newfoundland sailor, whom Ootah recognized
as having been in the region with some sportsmen from far away America
several years before.
As they danced the visitors broke into the fragments of a wild sailor's
chorus.
When they had finished, the Newfoundlander, a tall, tough, red-faced
whaler, drank again from his flask and strode to the shore. His bulky
body reeled unsteadily.
"Come on up--bring 'er in--hurry up! Gawd, but you'r' blazin' slow!"
Ootah and his companions landed. Tugging at the leather lines they
drew the walrus one by one from the water to the ice. In these
monstrous palpitating black bodies were tons of food and fuel. Without
wasting time, they fell to their task and dressed the animals.
Meanwhile sleds were brought from the tents and the masses of steaming
meat and blubber were loaded. While the natives were thus busily
engaged, the half-drunken Newfoundlander strode about uttering great
oaths. The strangers' dogs, attracted by the meat, with shrill howling
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