CHAPTER XII 



YOUNG KORNELIUS 



It seems fitting, after the story of the nipko or dried 

 meat in our last chapter, to make further acquaint- 

 ance with the boy, young Kornelius, whom we saw 

 eating that same meat. 



As for myself, my real knowledge of the Eskimo 

 boy began when I met Kornelius. Before that 

 interesting time I had seen something of the boys 

 of our village : I had watched them at their wild and 

 dangerous games on the water and in the snow and 

 among the breaking ice ; I had spent hours among 

 them at the hunting places and the fishing camps, 

 and had seen them learning to be men and hunters 

 like their fathers ; I had heard their odd remarks as 

 they sat looking at picture books in my room ; I had 

 sat facing them in church, and had heard their gruff 

 young voices sing, but I did not know the Eskimo 

 boy until I learnt to know young Korni. 



Kornelius was an Eskimo boy, a particularly 

 bright sample of his kind, twelve years old, and as 

 full of mischief and fun as it is possible for a boy 

 to be. If you, my reader, had enjoyed the good 

 fortune to visit Labrador, I could have told you an 

 easy way of finding Kornelius. 



Look for the ringleader in every boyish game ; 

 look for the most daring of all : that is Kornelius. 



85 



