THE WORLD OF ICE. 198

A few seconds sufficed to enable Grim to overtake
the woman, who fell on her knees the instant she felt
the sailor's heavy hand on her shoulder.

“Don’t be afeard, we won’t hurt ye,” said Buzzby
in a soothing tone, patting the woman on the head
and raising her up.

“No, avic, we’s yer frinds; we'll not harm a hair
o yer beautiful head, we won't. Ah! then, it’s a
swate child, it is, bless its fat face,’ said O’Riley,
stroking the baby’s head tenderly with his big
hand.

It was with difficulty that the poor creature’s fears
were calmed at first, but the genuine tenderness dis-
played by the men towards the baby, and the perfect
complacency with which that conglomerate of dump-
lings received their caresses, soon relieved her mind,
and she began to regard her captors with much
curiosity, while they endeavoured by signs and words
to converse with her. Unfortunately Meetuck was
not with the party, he having been left on board ship
to assist in a gencral cleaning of the cabin that had
been instituted that day.

“Sure, now, ye don’t know how to talk with a girl
at all, ye don’t; let me try,” cried O'Riley, after several
of the party had made numerous ineffectual attempts
to convey their meaning. “Listen to me, darlint, and
don’t mind them stupid grampuses. Where have ye
comed from, now ? tell me, dear, doo now.”

O'Riley accompanied the question with a smile of

ineffable sweetness and a great deal of energetic panto-
18