go out hunting at all, so
greatly did he fear the old woman's threat. But at last he ceased to
think of the matter, and began to go out hunting as before.
One day two men stood out on the ice by the breathing holes. Papik had
chosen his place a little farther off, and stood there alone. And then
it came. They heard the snow creaking, with the sound of a cry, and
the sound moved towards Papik, and a fog came down over the ice. And
soon they heard shouts as of one in a fury, and the screaming of one
in fear; the monster had fallen upon Papik, to devour him.
And now they fled in towards land, swerving wide to keep away from
what was happening there. On their way, they met sledges with hunters
setting out; they threw down their gear, and urged the others to return
to their own place at once, lest they also should be slain by fear.
When they reached their village, all gathered together in one
house. But soon they heard the monster coming nearer over the ice,
and then all hurried to the entrance, and crowding together, grew yet
more greatly stricken with fear. And pressing thus against each other,
they struggled so hard that one fatherless boy was thrust aside and
fell into a tub full of blood. When he got up, the blood poured from
his clothes, and wherever they went, the snow was marked with blood.
"Now we are already made food for that monster," they cried, "since
that wretched boy marks out the way with a trail of blood."
"Let us kill him, then," said one. But the others took pity on him,
and let him live.
And now the evil spirit came in sight out on the ice; they could see
the tips of its ears over the hummocks as it crept along. When it came
up to the houses, not a dog barked, and none dared try to surround it,
for it was not a real bear. But at last an old woman began crying to
the dogs:
"See, there is your cousin--bark at him!" And now the dogs were
loosed from the magic that bound them, and when the men saw this,
they too dashed forward, and harpooned that thing.
But when they came to cut up the bear, they knew its skin for the
old woman's coverlet, and its bones were human bones.
And now the sledges drove out to find the gear they had left behind,
and they saw that everything was torn to pieces. And when they found
Papik, he was cut about in every part. Eyes, nose and mouth and ears
were hacked away, and the scalp torn from his head.
Thus that old woman took vengeance for the killing of her son
|