Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1876-05-26

| The leg was lying during the trial out IN
the vestibule of the court room, and we found
afterward that during the trial Bill Woods
dog had run off with it, and that settled the
thing. Queer, wasn't it, Philadelphia
Bulletin.
EsquImau Folklore.
ONE OF THEIR FAvoRITE STORIES.
From Mr. McGahan's New Book
There was once woman swho had son
and daughter. As the son grew up he
became hunter, and one day he killed
thong seal. from the skin of which he pro-
posed to cut some thongs. But the mother
wanted the skin for some other purpose.
and she and the boy quarrelled about it.
Then she went and pronounced charm
on the seal-skin. and when he went to cut
it up the end of thong flew up, struck his
eyes and made him blind.
The winter came on. they were destitute
OF seal meat. and had to live entirely on
mussels, for the blind hunter could 90
hunting no more.
But enc day bear appeared at the win
dow and began to eat away at the window
pane, which was made of skin. The moth
! er and daughter fled to the other side of the
house. but the STRIPPING asked for his bow.
| His sister gave it to him he bent it, asked
her to take aim for him and then he shot and
| killed the animal. The mother said, " Thou
hast missed Bat the sister whispered,
/" Thou hast killed the bear
They had now plenty Of meat, but the
.. mother refused TO give the boy any, pre-
tending that as he had not killed the bear
there was none, aud only gave him mussels.
But his sister gave him his share of the
bear meat In secret.
Finally in the spring flock of wild geese
restored the boys sight and he resumed his
! hunting occupations.
lie, with his sister, used 10 90 out on the
edge Of the ice, where the seals and white
whales Ga kind of dolphin) were seen, and
he would kill them with his hsrpOon. lie
had no hunting bladder. but he used to tie
the harpoOn line round his SISTERS waist in
stead. and when the animal was struck they
would drag it up on the side by means Of
the line.
One day he asked his sister. " Dost thou
| like our mother
She made no answer. but upon his re-
peatlng the question she replied -
a | am fonder of thee than of her"
" Then tomorrow" he replied, 1" she
shall serve US for bladder
The next day he accordingly proposes to
! his mother that she should help in the hunt.
and to this she consents without the slight
est suspicion. He ties the line round her
waist as he had done 20 mis- sister, but she
now begins to grow frightened at the look
that Is in his eyes, and when she sees him
! preparing to throw the harpoon she cries
." My son, choose small whale, choose a
small one.
just then a large white whale rises to the
surface Of the water at the edge of the ice
near his feet. He throws his harpoon into
the animal and then lets 20 the line.
The whale instantly begins to drag fiis
mother toward the edge of the ice, she
struggling with all her might to get free
and crying out for knife to cut the line.
/ But the son only reproaches her with her
cruelty in h,ying made him blind, and says.
- This is my revenge
Then she cries out, " Oh. my ullo my
ullo 1t was that sucked thee, it was
! that sucked thee ~ And this she continues
crying until the whale drags her into the
water. She floats for few moments on the
surface. still crying, "0h, my son it was
! that sucked thee, it was that sucked
thee '' then disappears forever.
The brother and sister gaze few minutes
at the spot where she went down, and them
terrOr-s;ricken. turn and lee.
But the cry of their mother continues
ringing in their ears, and follows them
wherever they 20.
They finally fly from the village to the in
terror Of the country, far away from any
human kind, with this voice still pursuing
them, still ringing in their ears, 1t was
| that sucked thee. 1t was that sucked
thee ''
They disappear, and mob a., who knew
them ever sees or hears OF them again
But they are not dead.
Their death would not carry out the Is
qzimau idea, and the poet has added one
more act TO the tragedy in which there Is
grandeur Of conception not unworthy Of
Shakespeare himself
The event recorded in this takes place
long time aiterward nobody knows how
long. 1t NAV be a hundred years, for all,
even the children who knew the matricides,
have grown old and died. The tradition of
the crime Is ALMOST forgotten
The scene l. laid in the interior Of the
house of the GngGl0k. or priest-magieian.
Ii Is nlght-a winter night in the Arctic,
with an Arctic moon throwing its glamOr
over the plains and mountains of ice and
snow, Inside the house the priest-magi-
cian is performing copluratiOn. and 1.-The
people are gathered around, silent and
trembling, listening to his muttered incan-
tations.
Suddenly they hear cry outside. and the
dngah0h says, Something evil is ap-
preaching"
They 90 to the door and look out There
they behold a gigantic hunter little dis
iance away, standing in the moonlight.
His hair Is white as the snow on which he
stands, and it hangs down over his shoul-
ders in long. silvery locks
But his face Is black as night
They watch him for moment, and he
gazes at them with burning, fiery eyes.
Then the angalok comes forward and asks
the stranger who he is and what he wants.
The other replies -
" DO YOU not know me?'
They answer in the negative.
Then he asks -
" Do you remember the eson who used his
mother for hunting bladder?'
\ very old woman then remembers hear
ing her mother talk about the crime when
she was very little child.
The hunter replies -
- | am that man, and | still live
Then he tells them something of the life
he and his sister have lived since that time
says they are still suffering all the tortures
of remorse as on the day of their flight !;
that he has been driven by some mysterious
power to come and denounce himself to the
people. that the crime may not be forgotten
and-fearful notwithstanding all this
life Of three generations, day and night, the
voice of their murdered mother has been
always ringing in their ears
- Oh. my son it was that suckled thee,
it was | that sucked thee -
Then he disappears, and is never heard of
more.