The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1895-11-07
head erect and tightly curling

tail.
Sikeepa looked carefully to the prim.
ing of his gun, then gave the dog his
will and followed noiselessly.
Presently the animal stopped and
nosed the hard frozen surface of the
snow-covered ice. Sikeepa, kneeline,
saw q few faint scratches there and
rose with glowing cheeks and flashing
eyes.
"It is Nanuk!" he whispered. breath.
lessly. Good dog, good Khimik, keep
onr' And cautiously they followed up
the trail.
Upon cluster of rugged hummocks
they found the bear lazily doing in
the noontide sun, and, keeping well to
leeward, stole upon him with such ST.
lent tread that Nanuk took no note OF
their approach, nor dreamed an enemy
shared the field with him, until we'll
aimed bullet pierced his side and the
red blood spurted forth. Then with
a roar of mingled rage and pain the
great beast rose and faced the daring
boy-who now was hastily reloading
his clumsy weapon-paused a moment
and flung himself at his foe; but ere
he reached his aim the gun was poised
and two shots rang out ously.
The monster staggered blindly,
turned and beat the air with his huge
forepaws, then fell on his side, and,
drawing his knife. Sikeepa leaped upon
him.
"Be not so fast!" harsh voice called
out, angrily. "Nanuk is dead, but its
because of me. And were l not still
young enough to hunt, thy carcass
would need skinning, not the bears +"
And Mauterjek, the shaman, stood be-
side him.
Look! Here thy bullet sped-and
here again. This is the killing blow.
here in the neck. 1t is the place to
strike. None but foolish boy would
aim SO low. What do you still dis
pute meP Be off at once and send the
team and sledge; if nothing else, thy
limbs know how to run. And tell no
lying tales how thou didst kill"
Sikeepa, knife in hand, remained
erect. His color came and went
throughout this speech, but otherwise
he seemed unmoved by it. Then, stoop.
ing quickly, he severed one big fore
paw, slung it in a moose of sealskin
thong, and with it on his shoulder
strode away, nor answered Mauteriek
by single word.
Khimik hungrily Tapped the warm.
red blood; but the shaman drove him
OF with vigorous blows, and, whining,
he limped away on the road his master
was pursuing with nervous steps.
That night, when all had feasted
and hunger was a memory fading fast,
Sikeepa called the people to assemble
and in few words told them of the
hunt.
"Mauterjek claims the killing blow
as his; yet you all saw the wound in
Nanuk's neck. The bear was facing
me, its side to him; say, then, whose
bullet was it did the work2 He has
reviled me in terms unjust, unfit. Had
he been younger he would have heard
from me. do not war with age, nor
handy words. Is he to be your chief.
tain, or am II"
The people looked anxiously at one
another.
The shaman rose with brows dark
knit as night; his teeth were ground
together and his bronzed features
twitched. A moment passed before he
could control his rage sufficiently to
speak IN measured tones, and then he
said:
children, this upstart boy, this ".
ing cub, would have you say that he
had slain the bear; that he alone had
found the camp this food; that he
alone was fit to rule the tribe!"
Then swaying his body slowly to
and fro, beginning in low voice, but
gradually gaining force with elo-
quence:
"Who is it drives away your aches and
pains; restores your health and heals
your wounds; charms the wild things
which furnish US with food, brings
buiyea (the seaD to your spears, draws
feet-foot tooktoo from the inland
wastes?
"Who weaves the spell to keep our
ancient foes, the mountain folk, from
spreading out upon our hunting ground
to kill our deer and seals, to steal our
wives, to trap our men like foxes in
their holes?
III this young crow should set him
over us, look not to Mauterjek again
when food is gone; look not to Mauter-
jek when illness comes.
War with the tribes, and worse;
disease, and worse; famine, and worse:
ay, death, and worse shall come; for
none shall be left to build you burial
cairns; the wolves shall end it! This l
prophesy, /, Mauterjek! Oh, people,
hear and heed your Mauterjekm
And the harsh voice of the shaman
rose to shrieking pitch, the people
swayed to the rude rhythm of his
speech; and Kupa threw himself, face
downward, moaning: "Aillah! IT'S
thou hast said it. Ahaillah! thou art
our shaman and our chief; Aillah!"
The morning star shone brightly
overhead when a solitary figure ap-
peared before the group of icy huts,
and low voice called: "Khimik, come.
Hauk! hauk!'
A whine responded as the dog thrust
his sharp muzzle against Sikeepa's