r* 



92 AN ESKIMO VILLAGE 



vigorous as I came the nearer. Korni would seem to 

 be in defiant mood. At last, in the top passage, I 

 met the culprit face to face and it was not Korne- 

 lius at all. A smothered sound of laughter told me 

 that he was safe where I had left him. The boy with 

 the crutches was Timmo, Korni' s bosom friend and 

 disciple in mischief. Timmo had been stalking up 

 and down in obedience to Korni the chief plotter 

 in this little play Korni, the general commanding 

 the operations from the base. Timmo stood anxiously 

 waiting. He rather feared that he might get into 

 trouble over this little prank, but when he saw an 

 amused look dawning for who could help laughing ? 

 he grinned all over his face, and followed readily 

 enough, chuckling and expectant, to see what treat- 

 ment Korni would receive. 



We walked into the room . There sat Korni, quietly 

 turning the pages of his book, and seeming absorbed 

 in the pictures. But his eyes told their own tale ; he 

 could not resist a furtive look, to see how his little 

 hoax had succeeded. He twinkled up at me, and we 

 all burst into laughter. Their joy was complete 

 Korni and Timmo had succeeded in ' ' having me 

 on." 



Kornelius was soon able to be out of doors, and 

 his delight was a pleasure to see. But great as it 

 was, it was no greater than the delight of Timmo 

 and the others at the return of their leader. Korni 

 was the moving spirit in all the games ; he was the 

 genius, ever on the search for some new escapade. 

 Timmo and Edua and the others had missed him 

 sadly ; they were strangely quiet while he was away. 



