red how he had derided it as beyond
belief.

At last the fascination passed, and he turned his gaze in search of
those things which made this extraordinary scene possible. They were
there. Oh, yes. Julyman had not lied. No one had lied about these
creatures of hibernation. Piles of food were set out in earthenware
bowls, similar to the bowls which contained the floating lights. Then
there were other vessels, set ready to hand beside the food, and he
conjectured their contents to be the necessary brew of the famous drug.

An-ina's voice broke in upon his reflections.

"Him all much sleep," she said. "No wake now. Bimeby. Oh, yes."

She spoke in her ordinary tone. She had no fear of waking these "dead"
creatures.

"Tell me," Steve said after a pause, "who keeps these fires going? Who
watches them? And those oil lights. Do they burn by themselves?"

An-ina made a little sound. It was almost a laugh.

"Him light burn all time. Him seal oil," she explained. "Indian man much
'fraid for devil-man come. Him light keep him devil-man 'way all time.
Winter, yes. Summer, yes. Plenty oil. Only wind mak him blow out. Fire,
oh yes. When him wakes bimeby him mak plenty fire. Each man. Him sit by
fire all time eat. Then him sleep once more plenty. Each man wake, each
man mak fire. So fire all time. No freeze dead."

"None awake now," demurred Steve lowering his voice unconsciously.

"Oh, no," returned the squaw. "No man wake now. Bimeby yes. H'st!"

The woman's sudden, low-voiced warning startled Steve. Her Indian eyes
had been quicker than his. There was a movement under the fur robes of
one of the curious heaps in the distance, to the left, and she pointed
at it.

Steve followed the direction indicated. Sure enough there was movement.
One of the men had turned over on his back.

"Him wake--bimeby," whispered the squaw. "Come!"

She moved towards the doorway, and Steve followed closely. In a moment
they had passed the curtained barriers out into the fresh night air.

Steve paused.

"Would that be the headman?" he demanded.

An-ina shook her head.

"Him headman by door. Him sleep where we stand. Him sleep by door. Him
brave. Keep devil-man away. So."

"I see," Steve moved on down the path. "Well, we'll get right back. I'm
going to reckon on you, An-ina. Each day you go. When the headman wakes
you speak with him. You tell him white man officer of the Great White
Chief come. He looks for dead white men. You must tell