Off the rocks; stories of the deep-sea fisherfolk of Labrador . ed with deer skins, was an Eskimo woman withtwo tiny girls, while lying on the stones of thebeach that served for a floor lay a naked boy ofabout eleven years, his long, jet black hair cut ina straight frieze across his forehead, his facedrawn Afrithpkin and neglect, his largei deep, hazeleyes fixed wonderingly on us strangers. Hedidnt move, even when I spoke to- him, for hiship was broken and diseased. A man calledKupah was the owner of the tent. The littleboy was Pomiuk. After the breaking up of the Exhibition hehad never reache
Off the rocks; stories of the deep-sea fisherfolk of Labrador . ed with deer skins, was an Eskimo woman withtwo tiny girls, while lying on the stones of thebeach that served for a floor lay a naked boy ofabout eleven years, his long, jet black hair cut ina straight frieze across his forehead, his facedrawn Afrithpkin and neglect, his largei deep, hazeleyes fixed wonderingly on us strangers. Hedidnt move, even when I spoke to- him, for hiship was broken and diseased. A man calledKupah was the owner of the tent. The littleboy was Pomiuk. After the breaking up of the Exhibition hehad never reached home again. While he was atthe Fair his father, Kaiachououk, had beentreacherously murdered by a man called Kalle-lizak. His mother had married again and wasaway across the mountains. She had taken withher the rest of the family. All we can do, Ford, is to take the child backwith us. It would be kinder to give him a lethaldraught than to leaVe him to suffer here. Seewhat Kupah says to giving him to me for good. Mr. Ford explained to Kupah that we were• 42. POMIUKS TENT Litde Prince Pomiuk good medicine men, and wanted to make the childwell; that he would be no use fishing, and indeedwas only a hindrance now. As I watched himnarrowly to see what fate awaited Pomiuk I sawhim in the true Eskimo style shrug his shouldersand say Ajauna mat, the equivalent of It cantbe helped, or Do as you like. Having put Pomiuk to sleep we carried himto Mr. Fords house on an improvised he was washed and dressed, and as westeamed south again the child, wrapped in a bigwhite bearskin, was lying on the deck, followingwith his large pathetic eyes every movementof these strangers. Only one treasured possession he had—^be-sides his naked body—a letter we had receivedfrom the Hudsons Bay agent. It was addressedto Pomiuk and told of an old man in Andover,who loved and was praying for this lost sheepaway in the mountains. It contained a photo-graph, and when I showed it to Pomiuk he s
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Keywords: ., bookauthorgrenfell, bookcentury1900, bookdecade1900, bookyear1906
