BUILDING 



enough. The other man asked my friend the 

 missionary, who was acting as adviser and interpreter 

 and general helper in difficulties, how high he should 

 make them. 



"Five feet, abvalo (and a half)," said the 

 missionary. 



That was the starting-point of quite an argument 

 between the two Eskimos, and we found it necessary 

 to explain with the aid of the foot-rule that the two 

 things were the same. These men both knew 

 perfectly well how many inches there are in a foot ; 

 but I have often thought, since then, that our two 

 ways of putting it were not quite the same to 

 Eskimo minds. 



Oh, those railings ! I can see in my mind's eye a 

 row of tousled little heads, with bright little eyes all 

 peering to see what mystery there was behind them ; 

 and I laugh when I think how those heads used to 

 disappear if I tapped at the window, and leave 

 nothing but a row of little knuckles clinging, until 

 first one and then another mop of hair rose slowly to 

 view when those bright little Eskimo laddies thought 

 that the doctor had gone again. 



263 



