218 THE WORLD OF ICH.

had twice called down the hole in a hoarse whisper,
“That'll do, Davie; stop, man, stop!” Then, sitting
down on the hummock which Blunderbore had just
left—and from behind which he was now eagerly
watching her—she began to weep.

Having given full vent to her feelings in a series
of convulsive sobs, Whackinta addressed a lengthened
harangue, in a melancholy tone of voice, to the
audience, the gist of which was that she was an un-
fortunate widow ; that two bears had fallen in love
with her, and stolen her away from her happy home
in Nova Zembla; and, although they allowed her to
wall about as much as she chose, they watched her
closely and prevented her escaping to her own country.
Worst of all, they had told her that she must agree
to become the wife of one or other of them, and if
she did not make up her mind and give them an
answer that very day, she was to be killed and eaten
by both of them. In order the more strongly to
impress the audience with her forlorn condition,
Whackinta sang a tender and touching ditty, com-
posed by herself expressly for the occasion, and sang
it so well that it was encored twice.

To all this Blunderbore listened with apparent rap-
ture, and at length ventured to advance and discover
himself; but the instant Whackinta saw him she fell
on her knees and trembled violently.

“Spare me, good king,” she said; “do not slay me.
Tam a poor widow, and have been brought here by
two bears against my will.”