t only that night,
but each succeeding night. Several times some one or other of the
Huskies would rush out from their huts, and lay about them with their
long whips, shouting "_Eigh, eigh, eigh!_" We could hear the whips
snap, followed by piteous yelps and long-drawn howls. Then there would
be silence for perhaps ten minutes: by that time another fight would
be in full blast.

"What, for thunder sake, do they keep so many dogs for?" growled
Donovan.

"To draw their sledges in winter," I heard Raed explaining to him....

[Seventeen pages, containing, as appears from the
chapter-head, an account of an Esquimau ball, a funeral, also
of _Wutchee's_ and _Wunchee's_ cookery, are here missing from
the manuscript. The young author is now absent with the party
in Brazil.--ED.]

Strange how these people can live without salt! They make no use of it
with their food; eat fresh seal-blubber, mainly, all their lives. No
wonder they look flabby! And yet they are a happy set; always
laughing, joking, and badgering each other. Very likely their joys are
not of a very high order: but I doubt whether civilization would make
them much happier; though, according to the theory of us civilized
folks, it ought to. They lead an easy life,--easy, in a savage way;
though breaking up dog-fights does keep them pretty tolerably busy.
To-day (Aug. 7) we had a perfect dog-war. Three or four of the
ravening, howling curs assaulted Guard under the very flap of our
tent. Donovan caught up a musket, and, running out, pinned one of them
down with the bayonet, and held him for some seconds. On letting him
up, the dog ran off howling, with the blood streaming out of him.
Instantly all the rest set after him, barking like furies. Round and
round the huts they went, all snarling and snapping at the wounded
one. Presently out rushed old _Shug-la-wina_ and _Twee-gock_ with
their whips, shouting "_Eigh, eigh!_" and laying about them. The ends
of the thongs cracked like pistol-shots. The hair and hide flew up
from the dogs' backs. As fast as one got a _crack_, he would leap up
and run off, licking at the spot. How the boys laughed!

"That's a savage weapon!" exclaimed Wade. "I should about as lief take
a shot from a revolver as one of those 'cracks' on my bare skin.
Moses, how it would sting!"

"I don't believe it would hurt through anybody's thick coat," Donovan
remarked.

"Humph! it would cut right through to a fellow's hide!" excl