Page:Hugh Pendexter--Tiberius Smith.djvu/116

 animals, and he, too, tripped forward and slapped another elf on the flank. Mr. Bruin slowly dropped to all -fours and rubbed his massive white head lovingly against my patron's seal-skin coat.

"But no missionary had appeared, and finding the door unfastened we entered. The room was deserted, but on a rough table was a letter addressed to the captain. In it Olfen explained that he was about to leave on a chance sealer then off shore, as to remain longer meant death. By the date of the note he had been gone about a week. 'A strange tribe has settled here,' he wrote, 'and while their superstition leads them to avoid the hut, as they believe, because of my bears, that I must be an evil spirit, they nevertheless threaten to kill me. They cry out I am Nenook Shaman, the Bear Spirit, and it is only a question of time when they will attack me. Poor, ignorant savages! If I were younger I should stay, regardless of the risk. But I find my last days are suddenly filled with a desire to see the flowers, and I cannot wait for you. If you come and my pets are still here, be kind to them.'

"After the captain had slowly spelled this out, a scratching at the door caused me to open it, and there was a nine-foot, sixteen-hundred-pound toy sitting on his haunches and politely salaaming. Tib said the old boy was hungry, and finding a stock of dried fish we led the seven into their rock