“I—I thought she loved Angut,” said Ippegoo.
“O idiot,” exclaimed the wizard; “did I not tell you that you cannot understand? The loves of angekoks are not as the loves of ordinary men. Sometimes one’s torngak makes the girl seem uncertain which man she likes best—”
“Ye–yes; but in this case there seems no uncertainty, for she and Angut—”
“Silence! you worse than baby walrus!”
Ippegoo shut his mouth, and humbly drooped his eyelids.
After a few minutes, Ujarak, having swallowed his wrath, continued in a calm tone—
“This time we have failed. Next time we will be sure to succeed, and—”
“I suppose your torngak told—”
“Silence! weak-minded puffin!” thundered the wizard, to the great astonishment of a seal which came up at that moment to breathe, and prudently retired in time to save its life.
Once again the angekok with a mighty effort restrained his wrath, and after a time resumed—