PREPARING FOR ARCTIC DAY 215 



In the meantime I was in need of fresh supplies 

 from Etah, and with Kulutinguah and Kudlar to 

 bring back loads, left Annootok on the morning of 

 February first, long before the brief though length- 

 ening twilight that we were now enjoying, broke in 

 the east. It was very dark, but for a time traveling 

 was not bad, and one's eyes soon became accustomed 

 to the darkness. We did very well until we reached 

 the ascent of the big mountain lying just back of 

 Annootok, which has been mentioned in connection 

 with previous journeys, and over which the trail lay. 

 Here Kulutinguah asked me to drive his team while 

 he walked around the mountain on the ice foot to 

 look at some fox traps which he had set there. I was 

 to drive the team over the mountain and meet him 

 eight miles distant, where the trail turned out upon 

 the frozen ocean. 



Awhella, who had accompanied us as far as the hill, 

 assisted me in making the ascent. Here he left me, 

 and I took the whip. In the hands of a novice an 

 Eskimo whip will perform some wonderful evolu- 

 tions. It will do the most unexpected and surprising 

 things, and is usually harmless to inflict punishment 

 on anything except the novice who endeavors to 

 manipulate it. It did not take the dogs long to dis- 

 cover my inexperience. In a very little while they 

 were doing more or less as they chose. They even 

 threatened once or twice to return to Annootok, and 

 had they insisted would have taken me back there in 

 spite of anything I could have done to prevent. But 

 their curiosity and desire to see something of the 



