A TREASUKY OP ESKIMO TALES 



They became very much frightened, fearing that 

 they would all be killed in revenge for the death 

 of the young man. 



When the sledge of the men drew near and the 

 women and children saw that they could not es- 

 cape, the boy who had slain the man said to the 

 old woman: 



" The spirits of our murdered men are calling 

 to us to cut the ice. Cannot you cut it? " 



" I think I can," she answered, and she slowly 

 drew her first finger across the path of the pur- 

 suers, muttering a magic charm as she did so. 



The ice gave a terrific crack, and the water 

 came gushing through the crevasse. They sped 

 on, and presently she drew another line with her 

 finger, and another crack opened and the ice be- 

 tween the two cracks broke up and the floe began 

 to move. 



The men, dashing ahead with all speed, could 

 scarcely stop their dog team in time to escape fall- 

 ing into the open water. The floe was so wide 

 and so long that it was impossible for them to 

 cross, and thus the women and children were 

 saved by the art of their conjurer. 



22 



