The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1895-10-28

his head against Kotuko's knee. Kotuko
patted him. but the dog still pushed
blindly forward, fawning. Then Kadlu
walked and stared into the CLASSY eyes.
The dog whimpered as though he were
afraid ard shivered between Kadu's
knees. Then the hair rose about his neck
and he growled as though a stranger were
at the door: then he tarked ioyously
and rolled on the ground and at Kotuko's
boot like puppy.
"What is it?'' said Kotuko, for he
was beginnin x to be afraid.
1.-The sickness, " Kadlu answered. at is
the dog-sickness. " Kotuko the dog, lifted
his nose and howled and nowled again.
- have not seen this before. What
will he do?" said Kotuko.
Kadlu shrugged one shoulder little
and crossed the hut for his short stabbing
harpoon. The big dog looked at him,
howled again and skunk away down the
passage while the other dogs drew aside
right and left to give him ample room.
When he was out on the snow he barked
furiously rs though on the trail OF n
musk-ox, and barking and leaping and
frisking passed out of sight. This was
not. hydrophobia. but simple plain mad
ness. The cold and the hunge: and above
all the dark had turned his head; and
when the terrible dog-sickness once
shows itself in team il spreads like wild
fire. Next hunting day another dog sick
ened and was killed then and there by
Kotnlio as he bit and struggled among
the traces. Then the black second dog
who had been the leader in Che old DAYS
suddenly gave tongue on an imaginary
reindeer track. and when they slipped
him from the pitu he flew at the throat
of an ice-cliff, and ran away as his leader
had done, his harness OH his back. After
that no one would take the dogs out
again. They needed them for sonnet hing
aIu nd hn IL l.
they were tied down and fed by hand
their eyes were full OF despair and fear.
To make things wore the old women
began to tell ghost-tales and to say that
they mad met the spirits OF the dead hunt
ers lost that autumn who prophesied all
sorts of horri ble things.
Kotuko grieved more for the loss OF
his deg than anything else, for though
an Inuit eats enormously, he also knows
when TO starve. But the hunger. the
darkness. the cold and the exposure told
on his strength. and he began TO hear
voices inside bis head and to see people,
who were not there, out OF the tail OF lis
eve. One night he had unbuckled him
self after ten hours waiting above a
"blind' seal mole and was staggering
back TO the village faint aud diz1y-he
halted TO lean his back against bowlder
which happsncd to be supported like
rock ing-stcnc on single jutting point OF
ice. His weight disturbed the balance OF
the thing, il rolled over ponderously and
as Kotuko sprang aside to sovid IL. slid
after him squeaking aud kissing on the
ice slope.
That was enough for Kotuko. He had
been brought up 70 believe that every
rock and powder had its owner(its inus)
who was generally one-eyed kind Of q
woman thing called a tornaq, anc that
when n tornaq meant TO help a man she
rolled after him inside her s'cre hon
. q psse1 him whether ~ would take
100. for guard sn spirit. tn ~lmmer
q hsws the ic5- lBid socK. ana bONide.s
rOll snd slip all over the face OF the lano,
. you can easily see how the idea of
I've stones srose.) Kotuko heard the
blood beating in his ara a. he had hes--