164 HUNTING WITH THE ESKIMOS 



the dirty igloos and manner of living, it is a mystery 

 how blood poisoning is avoided among the Eski- 

 mos in cases of this kind, but somehow they escape 

 it; and my patients usually did as well as could have 

 been expected even had they enjoyed the best sani- 

 tary conditions of our modern hospitals of civilization. 



The scarcity of food was becoming a more serious 

 matter each day. An expedition was planned to go 

 south of Cape Alexander, as soon as the conditions 

 of light and weather were favorable. New harpoons 

 and lances were made, harpoon lines were softened 

 up, and sledges and dog harness repaired. 



In the meantime the dogs were getting in a pitiful 

 condition through lack of proper nourishment. Two 

 of Kulutinguah's dogs were found dead one day, and 

 they brought the bodies into the igloo to thaw them 

 out, preparatory to skinning them. I never saw ani- 

 mals so thin in my life as those poor creatures were. 

 There was, in fact, nothing of them but skin and 

 bone. Several others of Kulutinguah's and Kudlar's 

 dogs were so weak and emaciated that it seemed to 

 me they could scarcely survive many days. Finally 

 some of them were taken sick and developed fits. 

 Kudlar was compelled to kill two of his, which ap- 

 peared to have rabies, running about and snapping 

 at everything within reach. The Eskimos told me 

 this was the result of lack of food. 



But the moon was growing, and at length the time 

 came when its light was sufficient for hunting. I 

 was to be of the expedition to Cape Alexander, and 

 to experience one of the most stirring and thrilling 

 adventures of my Arctic sojourn. 



