rows deep, all desirous of witnessing the
wonderful act.

Our hero no doubt felt the importance of the occasion and filled his
pipe more times than his discretion should have allowed; first came the
stage of exhilaration, the world looked beautiful, and he spoke
entertainingly of the traditions of the past, a subject that is always
interesting to an Inupash, even if he has already heard them many
times; then came the well-known after effects, which nearly all
beginners with the weed experience.

His transient indisposition served as no warning to the people; neither
did the odor of the smoke that they had been forced to shield their
noses from. Had they not seen him swallow fire and belch forth smoke?
Had they not seen him during the stage of exhilaration? They all wished
to pass through a similar experience, but tobacco was scarce and held
at a fabulous price. One pull at the pipe was worth two dressed
sealskins; or a pipeful of the weed, affording two good swallows, cost
two deerskins. Only the wealthy could afford such a luxury.

"Nanoona" has long since gone to his rest, but his name remains green
among the villagers. To-day the traveler can see his elevated grave at
Tigme[=a]rook, about six miles east of the village of Tigara, at which
place his career came to a sudden end through the agency of an arrow
driven by the bow of an enemy.

XX

WINTER EVENINGS AND STORIES

The inhabitants of the busy world have no end of amusements, besides
their newspapers and magazines with which to pass their leisure hours.
It is not so with the less fortunate inhabitants of the far north.
Their winter evenings are long and their homes but dimly lighted by the
seal-oil lamps. To the uninitiated, it would seem a dreary sight, yet
the people have their enjoyment in the shape of an occasional dance, a
most innocent form of amusement, being as much singing as dancing,
accompanied by the beating of the one-headed drum.

The dancer stands up and makes a few graceful movements with the arms,
as well as limbering at the knee joints, then sits down. Others go
through the same motions in their turn, while the audience does the
singing. Their main festivities occur at the full of the moon, in the
month of "Nekanok-kochevik," corresponding to our December, at which
time, besides the dancing and feasting, presents are given by the
leading men.

Their other form of amusement is story-telling. The stories may be old,
but that make