The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-11-03

time il is certain death to be abroad. Ko-
tuko laid up a snowhouse large enough to
take in the hand sleigh-it is never wise 10
be separated from your meat-and while
he was shaping the last irregular block of
ice that makes the keystone OF the roof
he saw a thing looking q { him from lit
tie cliff Of ice half a mile away. The air
was hazy and the thing seemed to be forty
feet long and ten feet high, with twenty
feet of tail and q shape that quivered all
along the outlines. The girl saw II, too,
but instead Of crying aloud with terror
said quietly: THAT is Quiquern. What
comes after?"
"TTe will speak TO me" said kotuko,
but the snowknife trembled in his hand
as he spoke, because, however much a
man may believe that he is a friend of
stralHa and ugly spirits, he seldom likes
TO be taken at his word. The Quiquern,
too, is the phantom OF a gigantic tooth
less dog. without any hair. who is sup
posed to live in the far north, and to wan
der about the country just before things
are going to happen. They may be pleas
ant or unpleasant things, but hot even
Che AnEekok care to speak about Qui-
quern. lie makes the dogs go mad. Like
Spiritbear, he has several extra pairs Of
legs-Six or eight-and this thing jumping
up and down in the haze had more legs
than any real dog needs.
Kotuko and the girl huddled into their
hut quickly. OF course, If Qu!quern had
wanted them he could have torn fl TO
pieces above their heads, but the sense
OF a foot-tAick SNOWFALL between thsn-
selves and the wicked dark was q great
comfort. The gale broke with a shrek
OF wind caught IN the Jagged ice, like the
shrek Of a train, and for three Gays and
three nights II held, never varying one
point and never lulling even for min
uce. They fed the stone lamp between
their knees and nibhled at the h,lf-warm-
ed seals meat, and watched the black
SCOT gather on the roof for seventy-two
long hours. The girl counted up the food
IN the sleigh, there was not more than
three days supply and kotuko looked
over the iron heads and the deer-sinew
fastenirgs Of his harpoon and MS seal
hook and his hird-dart There was moth
Ing else 70 do
I'VE shall 20 to Sedna soon-very soon"
the girl whispered. 'Tn four days we shall
lie down and go VIII your tornaq do
nothing Sing her an Angekok's song to
make her come here"
He began to sing in the high pitched
howl Of the magic songs. and the gaA
went down slowly. In the middle OF his
song the cfrl started, laid her mittened
hand and then her head to the ice floor OF
tho hut. Kotuko followed her example
and the two kneeled, staring into each
others eyes and listeni-g with every
nerve He ripped i thin silver Of whale
bone from the rim OF bird snare that lay
on the sleigh ard after strengthening set
- upright in Il little hole in the ice firrnfag
Il down with his mitteu. It was almost
n delicately adjusted as q compass nee
die and now instead of listening they
watched The thin rod quivered z little
TIE least little far I'm the world then II
vihrated steadily for a few seconds. came
20 rest and vihrated again. this time nod
ding 10 another point 81 the comrass
TOO soon" said Eotuko Some big
foe has broken far away outside"
The girl pointed ~ the rod and shook hor
head 1T is q eaklng." SHE said List
en- Ia the Eround-ice r knocks"
When they knee'ed this time they heard
the most curious mufled grunts ard