So we began by making them each a present of a jack-knife.

These were accepted with a great deal of broad smiling.

Kit then showed them how to open the knives.

At that one of the girls reached down to her boot; and, thrusting her hand into the leg of it (for their boots had remarkably large legs, coming up to the knee, and even higher), she fished out a little bone implement about four inches long, and resembling a harpoon.

Near the centre of it was a tiny hole, in which there was knotted a bit of fine leathern string.