THE CUSTOM OF THE PEOPLE 



and bundled roughly into a boat, and that is as 

 much as they can tell. But from Katli I gathered 

 that they had been drifting past a little island where 

 John had pitched his fishing tent. He was safe 

 enough, sensible little man: his boat was in a 

 sheltered cove, and he was enjoying a pipe while 

 the storm thundered at the walls of his calico home. 

 " Jan," said Katli, " nala, nala (listen) inuk (a man)" ; 

 and John ran out in time to see the upturned boat 

 come drifting down. He saw the hands clutching 

 the keel ; he heard the faint voices hoarsely calling ; 

 he raced to his boat. There was no time to lose, 

 no time for thinking ; in another minute the wreck 

 would have drifted past and rescue would be out 

 of the question. He neither paused nor thought, 

 he did what lay before him ; with a rag of sail, and 

 a long oar stuck out astern to scull and steer, he 

 pushed out into the storm. He ran his boat against 

 the wreck, and as they raced together before the 

 storm he leaned over and hauled the worn-out pair 

 aboard, and in less time than it takes to tell he had 

 swept his boat between the rocks into safety, 



I know little John ; I have studied him from 

 all sides, and I know that he is a true Eskimo ; he 

 will not brag about that day. I tell you that, if 

 you ask him about it, he will take his pipe out of 

 his mouth and look at you with a puzzled sort of 

 face that seems to say, " What do you mean ? I 

 cannot tell you anything" and then he will turn 

 to his smoking again. 



And I tell you that he aye, and many another 

 Eskimo would do the same again, any day. 



75 



