Of course Ujarak, wise man though he was esteemed1 to be, could not help being struck dumb by the unexpected sight of the gaunt foreigner. Indeed, having so long held supposed intercourse2 with familiar spirits, it is not improbable that he imagined that one of them had at last come, without waiting for a summons, to punish him because of his deceptive3 practices, for he turned pale—or rather faintly green—and breathed hard.
Perceiving his state, it suddenly occurred to the sailor to say—“Don’t be afraid. I won’t hurt you.” He inadvertently said it in English, however, so that Ujarak was none the wiser.
“Who is he?” demanded the angekok—perhaps it were more correct to call him wizard.
Okiok, expecting Rooney to reply, looked at him, but a spirit of silence seemed to have come over the stranger, for he made no reply, but shut his eyes, as if he had dropped asleep.
“He is a Kablunet,” said Okiok.
“I could see that, even if I had not the double sight of the angekok,” replied the other, with a touch of sarcasm4, for Eskimos, although by no means addicted5 to quarrelling, are very fond of satire6. They are also prone7 to go straight to the point in conversation, and although fond of similes8 and figurative language, they seldom indulge in bombast9.
With much solemnity Okiok rejoined that he had no doubt of Ujarak’s being aware that the man was a Kablunet.
“And I am glad you have come,” he added, “for of course you can also tell me where the Kablunet has come from, and whither he is going?”
The angekok glanced at his host quickly, for he knew—at least he strongly suspected—that he was one of that uncomfortable class of sceptics who refuse to swallow without question all that self-constituted “wise men” choose to tell them. Okiok was gazing at him, however, with an air of the most infantine simplicity10 and deference12.
“I cannot tell you that,” replied the wizard, “because I have not consulted my torngak about him.”
It must be explained here that each angekok has a private spirit, or familiar, whose business it is to enlighten him on all points, and conduct him on his occasional visits to the land of spirits. This familiar is styled his “torngak.”
“Did your torngak tell you that he was a Kablunet?” asked Okiok simply—so simply that there was no room for Ujarak to take offence.
“No; my eyes told me that.”
“I did not know that you had ever seen a Kablunet,” returned the other, with a look of surprise.
“Nor have I. But have I not often heard them described by the men of the south? and has not my torngak showed them to me in dreams?”
The wizard said this somewhat tartly13, and Okiok, feeling that he had gone far enough, turned away his sharp little eyes, and gazed at the lamp-smoke with an air of profound humility15.
“You have got seal-flesh?” said Ujarak, glad to change the subject.
“Yes; I killed it yesterday. You are hungry? Nuna will give you some.”
“No; I am not hungry. Nevertheless I will eat. It is good to eat at all times.”
“Except when we are stuffed quite full,” murmured Okiok, casting at Nunaga a sly glance, which threw that Eskimo maiden16 into what strongly resembled a suppressed giggle17. It was catching18, for her brothers Norrak and Ermigit were thrown into a similar condition, and even the baby crowed out of sympathy. Indeed Red Rooney himself, who only simulated sleep, found it difficult to restrain his feelings, for he began to understand Okiok’s character, and to perceive that he was more than a match for the wizard with all his wisdom.
Whatever Ujarak may have felt, he revealed nothing, for he possessed19 that well-known quality of the Eskimo—the power to restrain and conceal20 his feelings—in a high degree. With a quiet patronising smile, he bent21 down in quite a lover-like way, and asked Nunaga if the seal-flesh was good.
“Yes, it is good; very good,” answered the maiden, looking modestly down, and toying with the end of her tail. You see she had no scent-bottle or fan to toy with. To be sure she had gloves—thick sealskin mittens—but these were not available at the moment.
“I knew you had a seal,” said the angekok, pausing between bites, after the edge of his appetite had been taken off; “my torngak told me you had found one at last.”
“Did he tell you that I had also found a bear?” asked Okiok, with deeper simplicity than ever.
The wizard, without raising his head, and stuffing his mouth full to prevent the power of speech, glanced keenly about the floor. Observing the fresh skin in a corner, and one or two ribs22, he bolted the bite, and said—
“O yes. My torngak is kind; he tells me many things without being asked. He said to me two days ago, ‘Okiok is a clever man. Though all the people are starving just now, he has killed a seal and a bear.’”
“Can torngaks make mistakes?” asked Okiok, with a puzzled look. “It was yesterday that I killed the seal and the bear.”
“Torngaks never make mistakes,” was the wizard’s prompt and solemn reply; “but they see and know the future as well as the past, and they sometimes speak of both as the present.”
“How puzzling!” returned the other meekly23. “He meant you, then, to understand that I was going to kill a seal and a bear. Glad am I that I am not an angekok, for it would be very difficult work for a stupid man,—enough almost to kill him!”
“You are right. It is difficult and hard work. So you see the torngak told me go feast with Okiok, and at his bidding of course I have come, on purpose to do so.”
“That’s a lie. You came to see my Nunaga, and you hope to get her; but you never will!” said Okiok. He said it only to himself, however, being far too polite to say it to his guest, to whom he replied deferentially—
“If they are starving at your village, why did you not bring your mother and your father? They would have been welcome, for a seal and a bear would be enough to stuff us all quite full, and leave something to send to the rest.”
For some minutes the wizard did not reply. Perhaps he was meditating24, perchance inventing.
“I brought no one,” he said at last, “because I want you and your family to return with me to the village. You know it is only two days distant, and we can take the seal and the bear with us. We are going to have a great feast and games.”
“Did you not say the people were starving?” asked Okiok, with a look of gentle surprise.
“They were starving,” returned Ujarak quickly; “but two walruses26 and four seals were brought in yesterday and my torngak has told me that he will point out where many more are to be found if I consult him on the night of the feast. Will you come back with me?”
Okiok glanced at the Kablunet.
“I cannot leave my guest,” he said.
“True, but we can take him with us.”
“Impossible. Do you not see he is only bones in a bag of skin? He must rest and feed.”
“That will be no difficulty,” returned the wizard, “for the feast is not to be held for twice seven days. By that time the Kablunet will be well, and getting strong. Of course he must rest and be well stuffed just now. So I will go back, and say that you are coming, and tell them also what you have found—a Kablunet. Huk!”
“Yes; and he speaks our language,” said Okiok.
“No; yet he speaks it.”
“I should like to hear him speak.”
“You must not wake him,” said Okiok, with an assumed look of horror. “He would be sure to kill you with a look or a breath if you did. See; he moves!”
Rooney certainly did move at the moment, for the conversation had tickled28 him a good deal, and the last remark was almost too much for him. Not wishing, however, to let the angekok go without some conversation, he conveniently awoke, yawned, and stretched himself. In the act he displayed an amount of bone and sinew, if not flesh, which made a very favourable29 impression on the Eskimos, for physical strength and capacity is always, and naturally, rated highly among savages30.
Our shipwrecked hero had now heard and seen enough to understand something of the character of the men with whom he had to deal. He went therefore direct to the point, without introduction or ceremony, by asking the angekok who he was and where he came from. After catechising him closely, he then sought to establish a kind of superiority over him by voluntarily relating his own story, as we have already given it, and thus preventing his being questioned in return by the wizard.
“Now,” said Red Rooney in conclusion, “when you go home to your village, tell the people that the Kablunet, having been nearly starved, must have some days to get well. He will stay with his friend Okiok, and rest till he is strong. Then he will go to your village with his friends, and join in the feast and games.”
There was a quiet matter-of-course tone of command about the seaman32, which completely overawed the poor angekok, inducing him to submit at once to the implied superiority, though hitherto accustomed to carry matters with a high hand among his compatriots. His self-esteem, however, was somewhat compensated33 by the fact that he should be the bearer of such wonderful news to his people, and by the consideration that he could say his torngak had told him of the arrival of the Kablunet—an assertion which they would believe all the more readily that he had left home with some mysterious statements that something wonderful was likely to be discovered. In truth, this astute34 wizard never failed to leave some such prediction behind him every time he quitted home, so as to prepare the people for whatever might occur; and, should nothing occur, he could generally manage to colour some event or incident with sufficient importance to make it fulfil the prediction, at least in some degree.
When at last he rose to depart, Ujarak turned to Nunaga. As her father had rightly guessed, the wizard, who was quite a young man, had come there on matrimonial views intent; and he was not the man to leave the main purpose of his journey unattempted.
“Nunaga,” he said, in a comparatively low yet sufficiently35 audible voice, “my sledge36 is large. It is too large for one—”
He was interrupted suddenly at this point by Rooney, who saw at once what was coming.
“Okiok,” he said, “I want Nunaga to mend and patch my torn garments for the next few days. Her mother has enough to do with cooking and looking after the house. Can you spare her for that work?”
Yes, Okiok could spare her; and was very glad to do all that he could to accommodate the foreigner.
“Will Ujarak carry a message from the Kablunet to his village?” asked Rooney, turning to the wizard.
“He will,” replied the latter somewhat sulkily.
“Does he know the angekok named Angut?”
It is doubtful whether anger or surprise was most strongly expressed in the countenance37 of the Eskimo as he replied sternly, “Yes.”
“Then tell him that the Kablunet will stay in his hut when he visits your village.”
Having delivered this message, he turned his face to the wall, and, without awaiting a reply, coolly went to sleep, or appeared to do so, while Ujarak went off, with a storm of very mingled38 feelings harrowing his savage31 breast.
When he was gone Red Rooney raised himself on one elbow, and looked over his shoulder at Okiok with a broad grin. Okiok, who felt grave enough at the moment, and somewhat perplexed39, opened his eyes gradually, and reciprocated40 the smile with interest. By degrees he closed the eyes, and allowed the smile to develop into a high falsetto chuckle41 which convulsed his broad hairy shoulders for full five minutes.
From that hour Okiok and the Kablunet were united! They understood each other. The chords of sympathetic humour had vibrated within them in harmony. They were thenceforward en rapport42, and felt towards each other like brothers, or rather like father and son, for Okiok was forty-five years of age at least, while Rooney was not yet thirty.
“He’s a very bad man, is he not?” asked the seaman, when the heaving of the shoulders had subsided43.
“Ho! yes. Bad, bad! very bad! He lies, and steals, and cheats, and talks nonsense, and wants Nunaga for a wife.”
“And you don’t want him for a son?”
“No!”—very decidedly.
Rooney laughed, and, turning away with a wink44 and a nod, lay down to sleep—this time in earnest. Okiok responded with a falsetto chuckle, after which he proceeded to solace45 himself with a mass of half-cooked blubber. Observing that Tumbler was regarding him with longing46 looks, he good-naturedly cut off part of the savoury morsel47, and handed it to the child. It is well-known that the force of example is strong—stronger than that of precept48. In a few minutes the entire family set to work again on the viands49 with as much gusto as though they had eaten little or nothing for a week.
Leaving them thus pleasantly and profitably occupied, let us follow Ujarak to his village.
Every man and woman of superior intelligence in this world has probably one blind worshipper, if not more—some weak brother who admires, believes in, perhaps envies, but always bows to the demigod. Such a worshipper had Ujarak in Ippegoo, a tall young man, of weak physical frame, and still weaker mental capacity.
Ippegoo was not malevolent50, like his master, but he was sufficiently wicked to laugh at his evil doings, and to assist him in his various plans, in the implicit11 belief that he was aiding a great and wise man. He did so all the more readily that he himself aimed at the high and dignified51 office of an angekok, an aspiration52 which had at first been planted in him, and afterwards been carefully encouraged by his deceiver, because it made his dupe, if possible, a blinder and more willing tool.
“Ippegoo,” said Ujarak, on drawing near to the outskirts53 of his village, and coming unexpectedly on his satellite, who was in the act of dragging home a seal which he had just killed, “I meet you in the nick of time—but that is no wonder, for did not my torngak tell me he would cause you to meet me near the village? I want your assistance just now.”
“I am glad, then, that we have met,” said Ippegoo, with a cringing54 motion not unlike a bow—though of the ceremonial bow the Eskimos have no knowledge.
“Yes, strange things have happened,” continued the angekok, rolling his eyes impressively. “Did I not tell you before I started to visit Okiok that strange things would happen?”
Ippegoo, who had a good deal of straightforward55 simplicity in his nature, looked puzzled, and tried hard to recollect56 what Ujarak had told him.
“You will never make an angekok,” said Ujarak, with a look of displeasure, “if you do not rouse up your memory more. Do you not remember when I whispered to you in a dream last night that strange things were going to happen?”
“O ye–e–es,—in a dream; yes, I remember now,” returned the satellite in some confusion, yet with a good deal of faith, for he was a heavy feeder, and subject to nightmares, so that it was not difficult to imagine the “whisper” which had been suggested to him.
“Yes, you remember now, stupid walrus25! Well, then, what was the strange thing like?” Ujarak looked awfully57 solemn while he put this question.
“What was it like?” repeated the poor youth with hesitation58, and an uneasy glance at the sky, as if for inspiration. “What—was—it—oh, I remember; it was big—big; very big—so high,” (holding his hand up about seven feet from the ice).
“No, Ippegoo, not so big. He was about my size. Don’t you remember? and he was pale, with hair twisted into little rings all over his head, and—”
“Yes, yes; and a nose as long as my leg,” interrupted the eager pupil.
“Not at all, stupid puffin! A nose no longer than your own, and much better-shaped.”
The angekok said this so sternly that the too willing Ippegoo collapsed59, and looked, as he felt, superlatively humble60.
“Now go,” resumed Ujarak, with an unrelaxed brow; “go tell your story to the people assembled in the big hut. They feast there to-night, I know. Tell them what your dream has revealed. Tell them how I spoke to you before I left the village—but don’t be too particular in your description. Let that be—like your own mind—confused, and then it will be true to nature. Tell them also that you expect me soon, but say not that you have met me to-day, for that might displease61 my torngak, whom I go to consult.”
Without giving his pupil time to reply, the wizard strode off, and disappeared among the ice hummocks62, as a bad actor might strut63 behind the side scenes.
Deeply impressed with the solemnity of the whole affair, and with the importance of his mission, the young Eskimo went off to the village, dragging his seal behind him, and wondering what new discovery had been made by his mysterious patron.
That something of unusual import had occurred he never doubted, for although he had often seen Ujarak, with unbounded admiration64, wriggle65 out of unfulfilled prophecy like an eel14, he had never seen him give way to demonstrations66 such as we have described without something real and surprising turning up ere long.
Strong in this faith, he ran into the large hut where a considerable party of his tribe were feasting on a recently captured walrus, and told them that something tremendous, something marrow-thrilling, had occurred to the great angekok Ujarak, who, before leaving the village, had told him that he was going off to find a—a—something—he knew not exactly what—with rings of hair all over its body, pale as the ice-floe, more wonderful than the streaming lights—incomprehensible!—immense!
At this point he glared, and became dumb. Not knowing well what to say next, he judiciously67 remained silent, then sat down and gasped68, while the united company exclaimed “Huk!” with unusual emphasis.
The consultation69 which Ujarak had with his torngak was somewhat peculiar70. It consisted chiefly in a wild run at full speed out upon the floes. Having pretty well exhausted71 himself by this device, and brought on profuse72 perspiration73, he turned homewards. Drawing near to the village, he flung back his hood74, ran his fingers through his long black hair until it was wildly dishevelled, then, springing suddenly into the midst of the festive75 party, he overturned feasters right and left, as he made his way to the part of the edifice76 furthest from the door.
A close observer might have noted77, however, that there was method in his madness, for he overturned only women and children, and kept carefully clear of men—at least of such men as he knew would resent his roughness.
Wheeling suddenly round, and facing the solemnised assembly, he addressed it, as if with difficulty, in a low-toned, awesome78 voice.
点击收听单词发音
1 esteemed | |
adj.受人尊敬的v.尊敬( esteem的过去式和过去分词 );敬重;认为;以为 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
2 intercourse | |
n.性交;交流,交往,交际 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
3 deceptive | |
adj.骗人的,造成假象的,靠不住的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
4 sarcasm | |
n.讥讽,讽刺,嘲弄,反话 (adj.sarcastic) | |
参考例句: |
|
|
5 addicted | |
adj.沉溺于....的,对...上瘾的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
6 satire | |
n.讽刺,讽刺文学,讽刺作品 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
7 prone | |
adj.(to)易于…的,很可能…的;俯卧的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
8 similes | |
(使用like或as等词语的)明喻( simile的名词复数 ) | |
参考例句: |
|
|
9 bombast | |
n.高调,夸大之辞 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
10 simplicity | |
n.简单,简易;朴素;直率,单纯 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
11 implicit | |
a.暗示的,含蓄的,不明晰的,绝对的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
12 deference | |
n.尊重,顺从;敬意 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
13 tartly | |
adv.辛辣地,刻薄地 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
14 eel | |
n.鳗鲡 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
15 humility | |
n.谦逊,谦恭 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
16 maiden | |
n.少女,处女;adj.未婚的,纯洁的,无经验的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
17 giggle | |
n.痴笑,咯咯地笑;v.咯咯地笑着说 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
18 catching | |
adj.易传染的,有魅力的,迷人的,接住 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
19 possessed | |
adj.疯狂的;拥有的,占有的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
20 conceal | |
v.隐藏,隐瞒,隐蔽 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
21 bent | |
n.爱好,癖好;adj.弯的;决心的,一心的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
22 ribs | |
n.肋骨( rib的名词复数 );(船或屋顶等的)肋拱;肋骨状的东西;(织物的)凸条花纹 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
23 meekly | |
adv.温顺地,逆来顺受地 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
24 meditating | |
a.沉思的,冥想的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
25 walrus | |
n.海象 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
26 walruses | |
n.海象( walrus的名词复数 ) | |
参考例句: |
|
|
27 spoke | |
n.(车轮的)辐条;轮辐;破坏某人的计划;阻挠某人的行动 v.讲,谈(speak的过去式);说;演说;从某种观点来说 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
28 tickled | |
(使)发痒( tickle的过去式和过去分词 ); (使)愉快,逗乐 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
29 favourable | |
adj.赞成的,称赞的,有利的,良好的,顺利的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
30 savages | |
未开化的人,野蛮人( savage的名词复数 ) | |
参考例句: |
|
|
31 savage | |
adj.野蛮的;凶恶的,残暴的;n.未开化的人 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
32 seaman | |
n.海员,水手,水兵 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
33 compensated | |
补偿,报酬( compensate的过去式和过去分词 ); 给(某人)赔偿(或赔款) | |
参考例句: |
|
|
34 astute | |
adj.机敏的,精明的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
35 sufficiently | |
adv.足够地,充分地 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
36 sledge | |
n.雪橇,大锤;v.用雪橇搬运,坐雪橇往 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
37 countenance | |
n.脸色,面容;面部表情;vt.支持,赞同 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
38 mingled | |
混合,混入( mingle的过去式和过去分词 ); 混进,与…交往[联系] | |
参考例句: |
|
|
39 perplexed | |
adj.不知所措的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
40 reciprocated | |
v.报答,酬答( reciprocate的过去式和过去分词 );(机器的部件)直线往复运动 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
41 chuckle | |
vi./n.轻声笑,咯咯笑 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
42 rapport | |
n.和睦,意见一致 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
43 subsided | |
v.(土地)下陷(因在地下采矿)( subside的过去式和过去分词 );减弱;下降至较低或正常水平;一下子坐在椅子等上 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
44 wink | |
n.眨眼,使眼色,瞬间;v.眨眼,使眼色,闪烁 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
45 solace | |
n.安慰;v.使快乐;vt.安慰(物),缓和 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
46 longing | |
n.(for)渴望 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
47 morsel | |
n.一口,一点点 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
48 precept | |
n.戒律;格言 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
49 viands | |
n.食品,食物 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
50 malevolent | |
adj.有恶意的,恶毒的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
51 dignified | |
a.可敬的,高贵的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
52 aspiration | |
n.志向,志趣抱负;渴望;(语)送气音;吸出 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
53 outskirts | |
n.郊外,郊区 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
54 cringing | |
adj.谄媚,奉承 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
55 straightforward | |
adj.正直的,坦率的;易懂的,简单的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
56 recollect | |
v.回忆,想起,记起,忆起,记得 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
57 awfully | |
adv.可怕地,非常地,极端地 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
58 hesitation | |
n.犹豫,踌躇 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
59 collapsed | |
adj.倒塌的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
60 humble | |
adj.谦卑的,恭顺的;地位低下的;v.降低,贬低 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
61 displease | |
vt.使不高兴,惹怒;n.不悦,不满,生气 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
62 hummocks | |
n.小丘,岗( hummock的名词复数 ) | |
参考例句: |
|
|
63 strut | |
v.肿胀,鼓起;大摇大摆地走;炫耀;支撑;撑开;n.高视阔步;支柱,撑杆 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
64 admiration | |
n.钦佩,赞美,羡慕 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
65 wriggle | |
v./n.蠕动,扭动;蜿蜒 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
66 demonstrations | |
证明( demonstration的名词复数 ); 表明; 表达; 游行示威 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
67 judiciously | |
adv.明断地,明智而审慎地 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
68 gasped | |
v.喘气( gasp的过去式和过去分词 );喘息;倒抽气;很想要 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
69 consultation | |
n.咨询;商量;商议;会议 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
70 peculiar | |
adj.古怪的,异常的;特殊的,特有的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
71 exhausted | |
adj.极其疲惫的,精疲力尽的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
72 profuse | |
adj.很多的,大量的,极其丰富的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
73 perspiration | |
n.汗水;出汗 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
74 hood | |
n.头巾,兜帽,覆盖;v.罩上,以头巾覆盖 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
75 festive | |
adj.欢宴的,节日的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
76 edifice | |
n.宏伟的建筑物(如宫殿,教室) | |
参考例句: |
|
|
77 noted | |
adj.著名的,知名的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
78 awesome | |
adj.令人惊叹的,难得吓人的,很好的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
欢迎访问英文小说网 |