There was one man of the group whose lips were parted, and whose eyes seemed to glitter as he listened. This was Angut. Much and deeply had that intelligent Eskimo thought about the Great Spirit and the mysteries around and within himself, but never till that moment did the curtain seem to rise so decidedly from before his spiritual vision. Egede observed the keen gaze, though he judged it wise to take no notice of it at the time, but he did not fail to pray mentally that the good seed might take root.
The attention of the party was called off the subject of discourse just then by a further movement of the pack-ice.
“See, the lanes of open water widen,” exclaimed Okiok eagerly, pointing seaward.
“Perhaps,” said Egede, “God intends to deliver us.”
“Have you prayed to be delivered?” asked Angut quickly.
“Yes, I have.”
“Suppose,” continued the inquisitive Eskimo, “that God does not deliver you, but leaves you here to die. Would that be answering your prayer?”
“Yes; for instead of granting my request in the way I wished, namely, that I might be permitted to live and preach about the Great Spirit to your countrymen for many years, He would have answered my prayer for deliverance by taking me away from all evil, to be with Jesus, which is far better.”
To the surprise of the missionary, a look of disappointment settled on the face of Angut.
“What ails you?” he asked.