134 CONQUERING THE ARCTIC ICE 



and blubber on the snow. At least 200 Ibs. of the choicest 

 pieces were brought down to the ship, accompanied by the 

 greater part of the population of the village, who all wanted 

 to have their share of the present which we usually bestowed 

 on the people when so much meat had been brought to us. 



It was blowing hard from the west, with only short intervals, 

 until December n, when the wind died down and the sky 

 became clear. For several days we again had the kind of 

 weather, so rare in the Arctic, which could make us forget all 

 our small troubles. 



Ned Erie with his family started for the east accompanied by 

 my best hopes that they would meet Mr. Leffingwell on the 

 trail. I was feeling more and more anxious, as he ought to 

 have been back a couple of weeks ago. All these days Terigloo 

 had been camping alongside the ship, until at last we were 

 obliged to ask him to move on, as his wife was seen more 

 frequently on board and carrying away more odds and ends 

 than I thought advisable. She was not .anxious to start for 

 Point Barrow, and the couple had a stormy interview. The 

 result was that she went along without any further trouble, but, 

 judging by the yells I heard during the interview and her looks 

 on the following morning, it was evident that moral persuasion 

 had not been the only means used. 



The pup I had bought of Crapok died on the day when we 

 asked Terigloo to move, apparently in consequence of a kick. I 

 went down to see Sachawachick about it arid to find out who 

 had administered it. They all claimed that Terigloo's squaw 

 had done it to get even with me for turning her out, and that 

 she was no good, but she had gone and I could not get hold of 

 her, which, of course, the natives knew quite well. 



Kanara came to the house and offered to give me back all they 

 had got in exchange for the dog, as they did not want me to 

 think that they had any part in killing it. Even if I had thought 

 so, the sight of a little girl sitting in the snow and caressing the 

 dead body of her four-footed playmate was enough to convince 

 me that they had nothing to do with his death, and of course I 

 did not take back the articles they offered me. 



At last, on December 16, we had the pleasure of seeing Mr. 

 LefBngwell and Storkersen come into camp. They looked 

 strong and healthy, although they had had a very hard time 



