"thou art fat as the
mother bears after a fat summer, and thy body is warm; it giveth heat;
Papik would give thee food, and thou shalt keep him warm during the
long winter."

The maiden smiled delightedly. For, as Papik indicated, whereas a man
may admire a slimmer beauty during the summer, when the long night
comes a maiden fat and chubby is a wife to be prized.

"But alas, thy nose is long, Papik," she said, shaking her head.

And the others chorused:

"Long nose, short life! Long nose--short life! Long nose--short
life!" In anger Papik struck the offending member, and drawing his
sledge after him proceeded toward his tent.

Assisted by a number of the natives, Ootah, smiling, exultant, drew
five sled-loads of blubber up over the ice toward Annadoah's tent.
With their comparatively meagre portions the others followed. To
Annadoah Ootah meant to show the spoils of his quest. To her he
desired to present the greater portion of the riches he had by his
prowess secured. Here was meat to serve them during the long winter,
and in that region the catch was a priceless fortune. Surely Annadoah
could not refuse him now. He had proved himself beyond question the
chief hunter of the tribe. His eyes filled, his temples excitedly
throbbed. He felt a greater joy than that the natives feel when the
sun dawns after the long night. In his heart pulsed the sweet song of
spring's first ineffable bird.

Not far from Annadoah's tent he paused. About him the natives,
wondering, admiring, had gathered. He turned to them; he felt a
strength, a dignity, an assertion he had never experienced before. His
voice rose in a happy, ingenuously proud chant of exultation:

"From the bosom of _Nerrvik_, queen of the sea, have I not brought food
for the long winter; yea, have I not for many moons sought to win in
the chase that I might claim Annadoah? Annadoah! Annadoah!"

"Yea, that thou mightest claim Annadoah! Thou art the strongest hunter
of the tribe," the natives rejoicingly chorused.

"Did I not win in the muscle-tapping games?" he sang. "Did I not speed
the arrow as none other--did I not speed the arrows as the birds fly?"

"Yea," they replied, "thou didst speed the arrow with the skill of the
happy dead playing in the aurora--over the earth as the birds fly didst
thou send the arrows. Strong is thy arm, Ootah."

Not far away some of the natives, joining in the chorus, began beating
drums. The white men hilariou