Thereafter he kept moving about the village all day in absolute silence, and with a profound gloom on his face, by which the risibility of some was tickled, while not a few were more or less awe-stricken.
It soon began to be rumoured that Ippegoo was the angekok-elect. In the afternoon Ujarak returned from a visit, as he said, to the nether world, and with his brother wizards—for there were several in the tribe—confirmed the rumour.
As evening approached, Rooney entered Okiok’s hut. No one was at home except Nuna and Tumbler. The latter was playing, as usual, with his little friend Pussi. The goodwife was busy over the cooking-lamp.
“Where is your husband, Nuna?” asked the sailor, sitting down on a walrus skull.
“Out after seals.”
“And Nunaga?”
“Visiting the mother of Arbalik.”
The seaman looked thoughtfully at the lamp-smoke for a few moments.
“She is a hard woman, that mother of Arbalik,” he said.
“Issek is not so hard as she looks,” returned Mrs Okiok; “her voice is rough, but her heart is soft.”