1 88 TWO DIANAS IN ALASKA 



oil plays the part of cream, and it is poure'd in 

 lavishly. Then what a banquet ! We had much 

 ado to refuse politely to sample a portion after in- 

 terestedly watching its preparation. 



When both Cecily and I would not have even a 

 small helping, the disconsolate faces around told us 

 how much our friends felt the thwarting of their 

 hospitable intentions. A weird-looking girl handed 

 me a salmon from a pile of dried fish heaped near a 

 barabora. I took" it and scrutinized it closely with- 

 out thinking, for, of course, even in the Innuif world 

 it is very rude to look a gift horse in the mouth. I 

 was really trying to discover its variety, whether 

 king salmon or salmon of lesser rank. Again a look 

 of disappointment crossed the faces of our kindly 

 would-be entertainers. How tactless it was of me 

 to seem so unappreciative. A gleam of intelligence 

 lit the eyes of an Innuit matron. Taking me by the 

 hand, and bidding Cecily to follow, she led us to the 

 back of a barabora, and there before us we saw 

 what any one would take to be a very recently made 

 grave. Such a large one, the tomb of a veritable 

 giant Innuit. 



Ghoulishly our friend commenced to scratch up the 

 soil, throwing it hither and thither. Prepared as 

 we were by that time for an exhumation of some sort, 

 we could not help gasping with astonishment as she 

 struck boards, and beneath the boards, which the 

 energetic woman carefully lifted, salmon in count- 

 less dozens, decaying and rotting. The smell well- 

 nigh overwhelmed us, but we realized that this time 



