& 
306 RARIK’S UNEASINESS. 
he seemed conscious of some fault, and in vain 
endeavoured, under friendly looks and words, 
to conceal a latent uneasiness. I even thought 
I could trace a similar feeling in his mother 
and Lagediak. Pained by these appearances, 
I asked an explanation. Rarik could no longer 
control his feelings, but immediately fell, like 
a repentant child, in tears upon my neck, with- 
out however confessing the cause of his agitation. 
On quitting the island eight years previously, 
I had appointed Kadu to the guardianship of 
the plants and animals we left behind, with the 
strongest injunctions on all the islanders to avoid 
injuring them, and threats of exacting a severe 
account on my return for any such offence. I 
had not yet ventured to inquire after them, 
fearful that the report might prove unsatisfac- 
tory, and cast a cloud over the pleasure of our 
meeting. It now occurred to me that Rarik 
must in some way have injured Kadu; perhaps 
he might even have put him to death. I looked 
sternly in Rarik’s face, while I inquired after 
him, but he answered me quite innocently that 
Kadu was well and residing on the Aur group 
