The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1906-01-03
rrE-T OTIMIAH chanted, "Metek,
Ipsl lLfl ihlv neenk nahmew


shore like snow bllsters.
Shame travels on the wind. and goes
one cannot tell where. The things that
live in the cold blue ravines of the
great bergs always hear Of it when q
man is nahme; the evil spirits of the
cliffs and those that dwell in the caves
under the ice-belt hear of it.
And when man is thus marked,
sooner or later he goes forth from the
village never TO return. For the
mighty help only the strong. The Arc
tic has small use for a man who Is
nahme She blots him out.
Ever since his father had been
caught in his ussuk line and dragged
under the foe Metek had tried man
fully to provide for his mother and
baby sister But fortune had been
against him. For two months the
family had lived on charity, and this
during u winter of unprecedented
want.
The three men of the tiny village
never asked him to go hunting with
them now. They paid less attention TO
him than to little Tooky, still Graded
in her mothers hood.
They spoke to Ootimiah. on the con-
trary, as one man to another. and
Ootimiah was barely year older than
Metek But Ootimiah, the lucky, had
brought two seals home to the fam
ished mouths.
Thus Metek pursued his despairing
thoughts in a circle. and although they
sometimes swirled up so thick and
black and angry that he yearned to
strike at Ootimiah with his keencst
lance, he kept doggedly at his work.
Every day he went forth on his vain
excursions over the Zoe. or climbed to
the ice-cap of the cliffs to inspect his
fox traps.
The day came, however, when Metel;
turned Oh his tormentor.
"Silence, lump of fatr' he shouted
His eyes glittered dangerously. Put
the dogs to thy sledge and we will see
who is nahme. We will come back
with meat or not at ALL
Ootimiah stared at him like an appre-
his mean little heart bounded at this
surprising outbreak. He had thought
that Metek was cowed by adversely
"How he said, when he had recov'
cred himself somewhat. "If you arc
so hungry 1 will make you cat your
words. Then you will have plenty OF
wind in the belly, which is filing"
He laughed unctuously Mt his Joke
/ but at the same time he fastened The
three best dogs of his fathers pack tC
the light sledge of pieced bone. ant
forced his rotund person into more
furs, until his coats lay upon him lik'
the shards of an onion. Also he pu
blubber and frozen sea fiipper, whlcl
is excellent TO gnaw on. Ootimiah be
lieved that Metek was "bluiiing." bu
he wished TO make sure of catching
him.
Metek's mother merely grunted, ant
took a fresh grip with her bare toe
on the stiff reindeer skin she was sew
ing when Metell bade her good-by. II
crawled out through the tocksoo an,
jumped on his sledge as checrfully a
If he expected TO see her again.
The sunless winter sky hung owe
them. and it was piercing cold; bu
the air was still The ganulated sun
face of the foe afforded the dogs
firm foothold
Ootimiah tried TO cntice Metek into
race; but when the latter refused I
force his team, he lolled back agains
the upstanders and crooned fatty I
himself, thinking how he would jee
at Metek when the excursion was oyel
At noon they halted for a rest. Dot
miah gluttonously bolted his blubbel
but Metek gave the larger part of hi
scanty stock of provisions TO his dog
Huh" grunted Ootimiah, lookin
with scornful eyes at this proceedin.
"Ncu have only woman's heart. Il,
morrow You viii be whining for food
"'Tis not ! who drass the sledge
said Metek. "a good hunter cares Il
his dogs first"
ootimiah, still seornful, tucked hin
self snugly into the sledgc and cracke
his whip.
AS the afternoon worc on, the Il
became rougher Here and there Il
foe had squeezed and forced up grei
blocks Of crystal; but lanes of ley
ice ran between, and the dogs wei
briskly forward.
As he rode, Ootimiah's glance swel
the gray expanse. There was not
crack or a hole to be seen. The des
sound Of the dogs feet told his expei
enced ear that the ice had thickene
Pale spots in the dusk ahead betrayl
the presence of bcrgs. Bleak and Dire
as II was about the igloo village, til
was a region SIN more inhospitable.
Toward night the wind rose. 90
miah, who was bored, began to IL
cold and uneasy. He blew out L
checks 10 warm them. and now al
then he glanced ctIriously at SIete
He had not expected TO iind his col
pani0n so obstinate.
When they camped Tor The night
the lee Of hummoclS, OotimI
thought 1t was the last half OF I