POOR AKPIK 



other sort of knives that they could lay hands on. 

 As to the dinner, they all helped themselves, cutting 

 off pieces or gnawing at bones, munching and 

 chewing and rolling the juicy meat about in their 

 mouths, and smacking their lips with relish. Now 

 and again Katli found some specially succulent 

 morsel and gave it to one of the smaller children ; 

 and the baby which one of the visitors had in her 

 hood was tussling with a bone, cutting its teeth and 

 educating its little Eskimo palate at the same time. 

 There were several neighbours and friends in the 

 circle, and the meal proceeded briskly without much 

 talking. So busy were they all that perhaps I was 

 the only one to notice a slow, shuffling step passing 

 e window. The footsteps turned into the porch, 

 d I heard the dogs yelping as somebody cleared 

 them out of the way. A groping hand felt for the 

 latch, and the door silently opened. A voice said 

 " Aksuse " (be strong, all of you), and poor Akpik 

 came in, choking and coughing at the sudden warmth. 

 Nobody seemed to take much notice, excepting that 

 John gave a laconic " Ah " in answer to the greeting, 

 and the circle widened to make room for the new 

 comer. Akpik sat down and pulled a knife out of 

 his belt, and I watched him pityingly as he sat 

 helping himself with lean and shaking fingers to the 

 tenderest portions of the meat. It was not long 

 before he was satisfied, for he was sadly listless and 

 weary, and with a simple " Nakom6k " he wiped his 

 knife upon his trouser leg and slowly made his way 

 out again. Again nobody took much notice ; John 

 said " Ah," and Akpik shut the door after him. 



I was mystified by this strange little drama, and 

 I suppose that I showed my wonder in my face, for 



71 



UK 

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