The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1895-11-07
KANGEGATSUK.
BIZ RALPH GRAHAM rABER.


but at Kikkertaksoak there were no
soft May breezes, no blossoming flow
ers, no buds of delicate green. The
seasons heralds were the shrieking
wind, the rushing torrents fed by melt
ing snow, the crashing avalanches
from the ice-bound heights, the surg
ings Of the mighty sea, which stretched
its arms and breathed with sullen
sighs, like some sound sleeper slowly
wakening, and cracked and ground its
covering OF white, tossing huge frag-
ments upon end, and filling the snowy
ocean plain with hills and knolls,
which scintillated with dazzling luster
beneath the bright morning sun.
In the shadow of lofty cliff, upon a
bank Of deeply drifted snow, were six
white mounds, which might have at
tracted no attention except, perhaps,
by their regularity of form
From one of these there emerged,
upon all fours, the short, squat figure
of an aged man, who rose erect, tossing
the long, grizzled hair back from his
eyes impatiently, and turned to ad-
dress another following him.
""Twas I who said 1t, Kupa, did
not2" he demanded.
His companion, scrambling to his
feet, grunted an assent, and proceeded
to oenvelope his head in the fox-trimmed
hood which made one piece with his
loose fitting upper garment.
Both men were clothed alike in
heavy furs, the spotted hairy skins
Of the ranger seal; each carried long,
old-!ashioned muzzle-loading rifle, and
a heavy spear tipped with walrus tusk,
attached to which was long thong of
walrus hide swinging in loose coils
from his mittened hands.
Their full, broad, brownish faces,
straight black hair, piercing eyes, fat
noses and short statures proclaimed
their race, if their dress and equip.
ment would not have been sufficient.
"The foolish boy has not returned"
continued the elder, in the Esquimau
tongue. ''The time was i'll and moth
ing could be gained. said it, but the
STRIPPING mocked at meme, Mauterjek
the Oldest of the tribe! Was I not
shamsn before this cub was born?"
''Softly, master; we must be off to
find the meat to-day, SO let the trouble
lie. It is not good to feed the empty
stomach on idle thoughts; 50 thou thy
self hast said. Thou art my mothers
husband, the never failing hunter, the
true of aim. Our time will come. Shall
we let our people starve while tooktoo
(the deer) yet may roam the hills?
Sikeepa may have found him while we
talk"
"That he will not!" the shaman
cried. "Take which way thou wilt. -
the deer is mine, If any may be found"
And swinging his long gun to his
shoulder he started of, with agility
surprising in one 80 old, and soon was
lost to sight among the drifts.
Sikeepa had started out the day be.
fore, in spite of storm of driving wind
and biting hail, in search Of anything
that might be found for food.
The deer had disappeared across the
land, the seals become exceptionally
scarce; disease had visited the camp
and robbed him of his father, the
chieftain of the tribe, whose native
judgment and instructive knowledge
Of right and wrong, combined with
strong will power and a kindly dispo-
sition, had made his wish a law with
those he ruled, enabled him to settle
all disputes and yet retain the loving
veneration Of his people.
The dying chief had let them under
stand that Sikeepa, though yet a youth
in years, had met and slain Nanuk, the
water bear, and earned his right to be
their Kangegatsuk.
The father had then cautioned and
advised him: my son, thoult have
short time to mourn my death. Sick
ness and famine, twin-born, are upon
u.s. Thou wilt be envied, and thy
actions watched that some cause may
be found for thy displacement.
$50, if thou canst, and fill the camp
with food; so shalt thou prove thy
worth and earn affection. Take on
thyself the burdens of the whole; nor
seek to rule thy elders; but advise
them.
"Cross not the shaman. Pay him his
tribute as gift deserved by reason of
the mysteries he knows; but be not
ruled thyself by lesser ones. When
thou dost know the right way, hold it
fast, and be not turned aside though
every mans hand should upliit against
thee"
Thinking of these, his fathers dying
words, Sikeepa forced his way against
the wind, narrowly watching for some
sign of game, and clambering over
the hummocks of rough ice which filled
the broad channel round his island
home and bound it to the distant Lab
rador main.
Khimik, his fathers f.vorite hunter,
gaunt leader Of the team, trotted be-
side him, safely in leash.
So hour by hour they plodded on un-
til the sun was low. Then Sikeepa,
halting before drift of snow, drew
broad knife out from it's sheath, and
with practiced skill slashed from the
mass number of wedge-like pieces,
piling them in circle as he worked,
which swiftly shaped itself into hut.
A remarkably short time sufiiced to
complete his simple preparations for
the night; and, once within the tiny
ipplOo ba r,i1loxuod h;s baad IN Khivp.