THE HEATHEN VILLAGE 21 



poised it, and with a mighty thrust sent it whizzing 

 through the air. It struck the sitting figure straight 

 between the shoulders and bowled it over. 



The man fled ; he dared not come nearer to see 

 what he had done. It was enough for him ; he had 

 slain his wife. Back to the village he went, taking 

 his time, and hunting birds upon the way. 



No sooner was he out of sight than the woman 

 gathered up her fallen smock, shook the snow from 

 it, and put it on ; and, with the harpoon upon her 

 shoulder, ran at the top of her speed to her home. 

 There she told her story, showed the hole in the 

 back of her smock, showed the harpoon, and then, 

 with the house full of neighbours, sat waiting. It 

 was late in the evening when the man returned, and 

 at the sound of his footsteps the woman crept into 

 the darkness under the wall and crouched hiding 

 behind the others. The man came in and flung upon 

 the floor the birds which he had caught. Nobody 

 moved . 



" Where is your wife ?" said one. 



" Ai, ai " (Alas ! ) , said the man, ' ' this is an un- 

 happy day, for my wife is lost. We had hunted 

 together and eaten together, when there came a 

 storm and she lost her footing in the darkness of it 

 and fell over a precipice and was killed. I have 

 spent much time looking for her, but darkness 

 came, and I was weary and cold and could do no 

 more, and my wife is lost. Alas, my poor wife ! " 



With this he broke into loud and violent lamenta- 

 tions, while the company sat around in stony silence. 

 He rocked his body to and fro and wailed, but, rais- 



