OLD AGE 



(never mind) the old man is all right he is an 

 Eskimo ! " 



Then Samuel went home to bed. 



Old Abia turned up smiling the next afternoon, 

 dragging a sledge-load of trout behind him. He had 

 suddenly bethought himself of a lake among the 

 hills where he used to catch trout. He walked the 

 ten miles to the frozen lake; jabbed a hole in the 

 ice with his " tok " (square-headed spear) ; and then 

 crouched over the hole dangling a bit of red wool 

 in the water, and spearing the trout with his 

 " kakkivak " (trout-spear) as fast as they came within 

 reach. Before he was satisfied night had fallen, so 

 this hardy old Eskimo of sixty-nine lay down to 

 sleep in the open. He woke up fresh and happy 

 in the morning, and after another turn at trout- 

 spearing he dragged his load home and thought 

 nothing about it ! 



113 



