who never knew what strokes you would set down for Arndrumnstake, know that your strokes meant that very country? for that you could not have agreed upon before either of you knew there was any such place." I was at a loss, without spending more words than I was willing about it, how to answer this close reasoner; and talking of syllables and letters would only have perplexed the affair more, so I told him the readiest for despatch; that as every word consisted of one or more distinct sounds, and as some of the same sounds happened in different words, we did not agree so much upon making our strokes stand for several words, as for several sounds; and those sounds, more or less of them, added together, made the particular words. "As, for example," says I, "_Arn_ is one sound, _drumn_ is another sound, and _stake_ is another; now, by our knowing how to set down these several sounds by themselves, we can couple them, and apply them to the making up any word, in the manner we please; and therefore he, by seeing those three sounds together, knows I mean _Arndrumnstake_, and can speak it as well, though he never heard the whole word spoken together, as if he heard me speak to him."--"I have some little notion of what you mean," says he, "but not clear enough to express myself upon it; and so go on! go on! And pray what did you do about the reeds?" I then resuming my discourse where I left off, completed my narration that night; but I could perceive the water in my father's eyes when I came to the account of Youwarkee's fall and the condition I took her up in. When I had done, they adjusted the order of their flight, for avoiding confusion, one to go so long before another, and the junior colambs to go first. In the morning nothing was to be heard but the gripsacks: the men were all ranged in order to go off with their respective colambs; and after all compliments passed, the junior colamb arising, walked half-way to the wood, where his gripsack standing to wait for him, preceded him to the level, the next gripsack standing ready to sound as soon as the first removed; and this was the signal for the second colamb to move, so that each colamb was a quarter of a mile before the other. My father was the last but two; but I shall never forget his tenderness at parting with his daughter and grandchildren, and I may say with myself too; for by this time he had a high opinion of me. Patty went with my father, she so much resembling my wife, that my father said he should still have his two daughters in his sight, having her with him. At parting, I presented Nasgig with a broadsword; and showing him the use of it, with many expressions of gratitude on his part, and respect on mine, he took flight after the rest. [Illustration: 5094] [Illustration: 0095] CHAPTER IX. _Peter finds his stores low--Sends Youwarkee to the ship--Receives an invitation to Georigetti's court._