PETER STILL ABSENT. 189 



fcirely innocent of all concern in this mysterious busi- 

 ness, and that it is, as Mr. Sonntag thinks, merely an 

 Esquimau whim, and that Peter, provoked at some 

 slight put upon him by one of the crew, has gone off 

 to cool his anger at Etah or in a snow hut. That 

 Hans is guilty seems to be the general belief; and it 

 is very easy to suppose that he has given Peter to un- 

 derstand tliat the friendly acts of the sailors only cov- 

 ered a hostile purpose ; that he knew this because he 

 understood English and overheard their conversation, 

 and has thus induced the poor fellow to fly in precipi- 

 tate haste from an imaginary danger. And this is the 

 less difficult to understand, that it would be quite in 

 keeping with Esquimau usage. With them, nothing is 

 more likely to excite suspicion of treachery than unu- 

 sual friendliness, and it is not at all improbable that 

 Hans has first coined a lie, and then, by judiciously 

 fanning the kindling flame with other lies and myste- 

 rious hints, he has been at last able to eflect a grand 

 coup, and drive the poor inoffensive lad into the dark- 

 ness to seek safety at Sorfalik. Maddened with the 

 threatening danger, he is ready for any thing, — seizes 

 his bag and flies. Seeing our lights on the harbor, 

 he has dropped his bag and hastened his retreating 

 steps. Under this head I can now understand the 

 meaning of what Jensen told me some days ago, that 

 "they have made friends." 



November 23d. 

 Five days have elapsed, and still Peter does not re- 

 turn. I have sent to the hut at Etah, but he has not 

 been there, nor can any traces of him be discovered 

 in the quarters of our cached deer meat. Meanwhile 

 much snow has fallen, and a fierce gale, in wdiich no 

 one could live long without shelter, has been raging. 



