76 HUNTING WITH THE ESKIMOS 



in a severe freezing, and I quickly decided to return 

 to Annootok and later, when the ice was stronger, 

 join another expedition that was planned to the same 

 region. Kudlar good-naturedly turned back with his 

 komatik and carried my outfit to quarters. 



It was now that I made a startling discovery. I 

 found I was covered with vermin, acquired, doubt- 

 less, in the native igloos. One who comes into contact 

 with the Eskimos cannot hope to avoid this, and no 

 amount of effort will get rid of vermin as long as 

 one remains in the country, for the people and their 

 homes are literally infested with them. I accepted 

 the situation philosophically. 



My time at Annootok was spent in long walks over 

 the surrounding country where I sometimes hunted 

 hares, for we needed the fresh meat, but with little 

 success in killing for they were so nearly the color of 

 the snow that I had difficulty in seeing them before 

 they saw me, and they were very wild. 



One day in late September I accompanied three of 

 the Eskimo boys on a fishing trip to a pond lying 

 some four miles back of camp. Several holes were 

 cut through the ice, now more than two feet thick, 

 and a lure of ivory, fashioned into the form of a fish 

 and tied to the end of a string, was dangled up and 

 down in the water. This drew the attention of the 

 trout, and as they came to investigate the lure the 

 boys speared them. The dexterity of the boys with 

 the spear was marvelous. I tried it several times 

 myself, but always failed to spear my fish. A heavy 

 snow storm was raging at the time, with a stiff north- 



