ain
attracted the wondering natives from their burrows.

Camp was made on a wooded island opposite the village, and while the
others were clearing the snow from a space some fifty feet square, and
banking it up on the windward side, Phil took his gun and set forth to
hunt for a Christmas dinner. An hour later he returned with four arctic
hares and a brace of ptarmigan or Yukon grouse whose winter plumage was
as spotless as the snow itself.

He found Serge and Jalap Coombs concocting a huge plum duff, while from
the brass kettle a savory steam was already issuing. Kurilla and Chitsah
had chopped a hole through four feet of ice and were fishing, while a
few natives from the village hovered about the outskirts of the camp
watching its strange life with curious interest.

They were very shy, and moved away when Phil approached them, seeing
which he called Kurilla and bade him tell them that a present would be
given to every man, woman, and child who should visit the camp before
sunset.

At first they could not comprehend this startling proposition, but after
it had been repeated a few times the youngest of them, a mere boy,
uttered a joyous shout and started on a run for the village. A few
minutes later its entire population, not more than twenty-five in all,
including babes in arms, or rather in the hoods of their mother's
parkas, came hurrying over from the mainland filled with eager
expectancy.

[Illustration: "KIKMUK."]

To every man Phil presented a small piece of tobacco, to every woman a
handful of tea, and to every child a biscuit dipped in molasses. With
each present he uttered, very distinctly, the word "Christmas." At
length one child, though whether it was a boy or a girl he could not
make out, for their fur garments were all exactly alike, looked up with
a bashful smile and said, "Kikmuk." In a minute all the others had
caught the word, and the air rang with shouts of "Kikmuk," mingled with
joyous laughter.

Then they all trooped back to the village, shouting "Kikmuk" as they
went, and so long as they live the word will be associated in their
minds with happiness and good-will. Three of them, a man and two women,
afterwards returned, bringing with them a pair of dainty moccasins, a
fox-skin, and an intestine filled with melted fat, which they timidly
presented to Phil, Serge, and Jalap Coombs respectively. The last-named
regarded his gift rather dubiously, but accepted it with a hearty
"Kikmuk," and r