POOR AKPIK 



John answered the question that was in my thoughts 

 just as if I had asked it. 



" We all know Akpik," he said ; " he is a poor 

 young man who cannot hunt or work for himself, 

 and we know that he cannot work because he is ill. 

 I did not invite him to come, but he is quite 

 welcome. Among the people, no poor man will 

 lack for a meal as long as there is food. It is a 

 custom of the people." 



And John, having given his explanation, thought 

 no more about it ; he was following the custom of 

 the people, and took no credit to himself. Any 

 other Eskimo would have done the same. 



Little John is what is known as a clever 

 hunter that is, he always meets with more than 

 the average success. For this reason he is much 

 respected by the people, in spite of his small size. 

 I took the trouble to look into the cause of his 

 success, and found that it was partly a matter of 

 heredity. His father was a clever hunter in his 

 day. Partly it is owing to John's infinite or very 

 great capacity for taking pains. John always 

 catches more trout than anybody else, but he takes 

 a corresponding amount of trouble over his net ; he 

 never lets a tear stand unmended, and he is on the 

 watch to clear away bits of floating seaweed all day 

 long. He seems to hit more seals and reindeer with 

 his gun than most of the men, but then he leaves 

 nothing to chance ; his gun is always clean, his 

 sledge is ever in repair, and, thanks to his good 

 Katli, his skin canoe is never leaky. 



The last time I heard of little John he was 

 within an ace of becoming famous, but the printer 

 withheld his name, so he continues to live his simple 



72 



