s presently brought a young _angakoq_, one better loved
than the dead Sipsu. For being young he had not prophesied many deaths.

All moved away as the magician began beating his membrane drum over
Ootah's body. Working himself into frenzy, he called upon his familiar
spirits. For, according to their belief, illness, and the suffering
resultant from wounds, are actually caused by the spirits of the
various members of the body falling out of harmony. Then the _angakoq_
must persuade his friends in the other world to restore peace among the
spirits of the human hands, feet, head, or whatever limbs may be
affected. The soul, or great spirit, they say resides in one's shadow,
and sometimes this falls out of agreement with the minor spirits of the
body. Then one is in bad shape, indeed.

For half an hour the chant and dance continued. Meanwhile Ootah opened
his eyes and often smiled at Annadoah. He was better, he told them,
and motioned the _angakoq_ to go. He bade Annadoah sit beside him. He
felt unquestionably better.

"You have asked me whether I went far over the mountains? Yea, we
travelled many sleeps, yet we scarcely rested. The world was white
about us. The spirits carried us over dark places in the hills,
wherein _Perdlugssuaq_ makes his home. But he did not strike. We were
borne over abysses. The spirits of one's ancestors are often kind. We
went through the world of the fog, she who was the wife of that hill
spirit who carried the dead from their graves and ate them. Yea, she
passed beneath our feet. We came to the high mountains. We passed
upward where the eyes of strange beasts glared upon us. I was afraid.
But I called upon my father. Then the spirits of the great dead came
down upon us. They wove _kamiks_ and _ahttees_ of fire. Their eyes
burned as the great light of the stars. They did not regard us. We
came unto the _ahmingmah_ . . . But upon our return the hill spirits
who live in the caves wakened and struck with their great harpoons.
They shook the mountains. Then the good ancestors carried me through
_sila_--the world of the air--yea, my dogs, my sledge, and the
_ahmingmah_ meat. I had called upon those who went before me. I woke
at the bottom of the mountain, three of my dogs were crushed, my sledge
was broken . . . I lay there a while . . . I slept again . . .
often . . . Then I lashed the sled, ate a little of the _ahmingmah_
meat, and came . . . hither . . . How . .