Evening journal., 1909-09-21

she had the long end of the trade A fat
youth. with only smile, displayed with
gIee two bright tin cups. one for himself
and one for his prospective bride. All of
this glitter had been received in exchange
for an ordinary ivory horn worth about
ninety dollars.
The Yacht AEnin Afoat
The midnight tide lifted the yacht on AM
even keel from her makeslift drydock on
the beach. and she was pulled out into the
bay and anchored for n few hours. Coma
moi was but one of six villages in which
the tribe had divided its two hundred and
fifty people for the current season.
To study the people. to further encour-
age the game Of barter and to enjoy the
rare sport of yachting and hunting in
mans northernmost haunts. we prepared
to visit as many villages as possible.
In the morning the anchor was raised
and the yacht set sail in light wind head
ed for more northern villages. 1t was
gray day. with a quiet sea. The speed OF
the yacht was not fast enough to be excit-
ing, so Mr. Bradley suggested lowering
the launch for a crack at ducks or a chase
Of walrus, OF a drive at anything that hap
pened to cut the waters.
The harpoon gun was taken, as it was
hoped that a whale might come our way.
but the gun proved unsatisfactory and
did not contribute much to our sport. We
we're able to run all around the yacht as
she slowly sailed over Wolstenholme
Sound
Ducks were secured in abundance. Seals
were given chase, but they were able to
escape our craft Nearing Saunders
Island herd of walrus was seen on
pan of drift ice far ahead of the yacht
The magnetic was pushed, the carburetor
opened. and out we rushed after the
shouting beasts.
Two with splendid tusks were obtained
and two tons Of meat blubber were turned
over to our Eskimo allies.
The days of hunting proved quite
strenuous, and in the evening we were
glad to seek the comfort of our cosey
cabins when roast elder duck had filed
large gap.
An Eskimo widows story.
/ Among the Eskimo passengers pacing
the deck was a widow, who, in tears, told
rs the story of her life, a story which
offered a peep into the comedy and
tragedy of Eskimo existence. She had
ARRANGED a den under a shelter of seal
skins among the anchor chains. We had
offered her a large bed, with straw IN It,
and a place between decks as better
nest for her brood Of youngsters, but she
refused. saving she preferred the open
air on deck.
To my question as to now the world
had used her she buried her face in her
hands and began to mutter to her two
boys the youngest just in pants. ! knew
her early history, so could understand heI
s,ory without hearing all her words be
tween sobs.
She had come from American shores
and. as a foreign belle, her hand was
sought early. At thirteen lkwa intro
duced her to a welded life not strewr
with blubber. He was cruel and not
always truthful, sin for which his
brother, the angikok, or doctor, was with
out his consent put out of harms way.
Two girls graced their home. One was
now married When the youngest was
out of her hood, Ikwa took the children
and invited her to leave. saying that he
had taken TO wife Ahtah, plump maid
and a good seamstress,
Nance had neither advantage, but she
knew something of human nature, and
soon found another husband, a good deal
older, but better than the first Their
life was hard one, for Nordingwah was
not a good hunter, but their home was
peaceable. quiet and happy. Two children
enlivened it. Both were at her side on
the yacht boy of eight. the only deaf
and dumb Eskimo in all the land, and a
thin, pale weakling of three.
A Tragedy of the Arctic.
Both had been condemned by the Es-
kimo law Of the survival Of the fttest, the
first because of insufficient senses and
the second because it was under three and
still on its mothers back when the father
passed away. They were not to partic-
ipate in the strife Of life But an un-
usual mother loved them.
A few days before the previous winter
the old father, anxious to provide warm
bearskins for the prolonged night, had
ventured alone far up into the noun
tains His gun went off accidentally
and he never returned.
The executor Of the brother Of Nance
former husband was kind to her for the
long night and kept famine from heI
door. In the summer day she had been
able to keep herself, but who could pro
vide for her for the night to come? Her
only resource was 10 seek the chilled
heart of her former husband. and we
were performing the unpleasant mission
of taking her to him as wiz No. ..
When we later saw Ikwa he did NOT
thank us for the trouble we had taken
but we had expected no reward.
The speed of the yacht increased as
the night advanced. A snow squal
frosted the decks, and TO escape the icy
air we sought our warm berths early
At four O'Clock in the morning the gray
gloom separated and the warm sun poured
forth a suitable wealth of August rays