HOME LIFE IN THE IGLOOS 137 



burned completely through, the fire out, and that 

 my right ear had painfully frozen while I slept. I 

 made several vain endeavors to start the fire again, 

 but the pipe would not draw, the shack filled with 

 smoke, and at length, chilled through, I was driven 

 to wrap myself in blankets and musk-ox skins. Thus 

 I lounged about until, aching in every joint, I started 

 all my oil stoves going. Presently the temperature 

 became comparatively comfortable, and after some 

 temporary repairs on the coal stove, I succeeded in 

 getting a fire in it again, though it burned very un- 

 satisfactorily. 



Outside, the Eskimo youngsters were having a fine 

 time on the smooth ice kicking a football made of a 

 blown-up bladder. This is a favorite game with 

 them, and one that they seem never to tire of. For 

 hours at a time they will kick the ball, racing after 

 it and shouting with all their might, with an apprecia- 

 tion of the sport no civilized children could excel. 

 Their games are few and it always did me good to 

 see them play. 



When the stove was repaired and my house in 

 order, I went out to watch the youngsters for a time, 

 in the light of a growing moon, and then proceeded 

 to the igloos, to arrange for men and komatiks to go 

 with me to Etah, to bring up coal and provisions. 

 My supplies at Annootok were getting low, and with 

 a moonlit period approaching, the Eskimos would 

 shortly leave on hunting-trips and none would then 

 be available to assist me. I found some of them 

 already preparing for an expedition to Inglefield 



