“It is fine sport to skim over the smooth ice, but I don’t believe I should like to ride all day long.”
“Sinful”
Before leaving, one of the Eskimo men gave AH-NI-GHI´-TO a puppy with which she and Koodluk’too had great sport. She was reddish-brown in colour and AH-NI-GHI´-TO named her “Cinnamon,” but called her “Cin” for short. She was full of mischief and was known to the sailors as “Sinful.”
On May 5th AH-NI-GHI´-TO coaxed her mother to have cake baked, so that she could feast her friends the next day, it being her father’s birthday. All day she was busy with Charley getting her feast ready, and when night came she was glad to climb into her bunk and go to sleep. She did not dream that something great would happen before breakfast the next day.
The next evening she wrote in her diary:
“May 6. It seemed as though I had only just closed my eyes when I was awakened by Mother, who was sitting up in bed calling, ‘Charley, Charley, unlock the cabin door quickly, Mr. Peary has come.’ At first I thought she was dreaming, but a second later I heard some one rattling at the cabin door, while Charley, half asleep, was trying to unlock it. Then a great giant all dressed in bear and deer skins was coming toward the bed asking for his baby, and here was Father really and truly, safe and well, and on his birthday too; glory, glory, now we could really celebrate, and Mother knew his step even when she was asleep. Dear old Dad, he looks the same. Of course we got right up and dressed, while Father took his bath, and at five o’clock in the morning our whole family sat down to breakfast together, for the first time in three years. The day has been a holiday for every one on board.”
XII
After AH-NI-GHI´-TO’S father returned, the time fairly flew.
Ahnǵoodloo and Billy Bah were among the Eskimos who returned with AH-NI-GHI´-TO’S father, and they now joined AH-NI-GHI´-TO and Koodluk´too in their play.