A strange misgiving beset the boys. They hated to see these two natives, who had proved themselves so friendly, go. Here they were now, really at the mercy of the surly Mooloo.
Maybe he was better than he looked. Anyway, they must say something. They could not stand there foolishly staring at each other all day. And it was quite plain that the Eskimo had no notion of breaking the silence.
It was Bobby, as usual, who spoke first.
“Are you Mooloo?” he asked.
The Eskimo nodded, his eyes suspicious.
“We’ve come a long way to see you,” said Bobby. Then suddenly remembering the walrus tooth token which, for safer keeping he had kept on a string ever since Chief Takyak had given it to him, he put a hand inside his fur clothing and drew it forth, breaking the string as he did so.
He approached the Eskimo, holding the walrus tooth in his hand.
“Chief Takyak told me to bring this to you,” he said. “He said you would know it and would know that we were friends of his.”
The Eskimo, who had never once changed his position and who was now staring up at Bobby with unblinking, beadlike black eyes, shifted his squat form with a surly grunt and let his glance drop to the token Bobby held out to him.
The change that came over him was startling. He took the walrus tooth from Bobby, his eyes lighted up strangely and when he looked up at the lad again it was evident that he was greatly impressed.