56 INTRODUCTION OF DOMESTIC HEINDKKK INTO ALASKA. 



ing, penetrating anj'tliing and everything in its way. We are all 

 gathered around a big fii-e on the beach while eating our supper. 

 One side is actually getting stiff from cold while the other is roast- 

 ing. The clouds have disappeared and it is a starlight, beautiful 

 evening. We all retire to our sleeping bags at 7 o'clock. 



Thursday, November 1.2. — Immediateh' after we had retired last 

 night steps of a man were heard outside the tent, and the next moment 

 a voice asked in Eskimo, ''T\lio is here?" As no one answered the 

 inquiry, another question followed in English, " Wliat kind of a place 

 is this?" I told the man at once who we were and what we were, and 

 asked him, if he had any dogs to tie them up immediately, because 

 our reindeer were feeding in near proximity to the tent. "I have 

 dogs, but they are all tied," ansAyered the man. However, not trust- 

 ing what the man said, I asked my tliree men at once to arm them- 

 selves with guns and run for the place where the deer were. Mean- 

 while I went out to the stranger, who stood just outside the tent trying 

 to tie one of his dogs, while the rest were running loose in the bushes. 

 One dog was already missing, and all the deer were gone and could 

 not be found anywhere. Finalh', about 10 p. m., the herders re- 

 turned from the mountains, fortunately^ having found the deer, all in 

 apparently good condition. But the missing dog not being found, 

 we dare not leave the deer and so decided on taking turns to watch 

 all night. Armed with my shotgun, I took the first turn for two or 

 thi'ee hours. Luckily no one else needed to take anj turn, because 

 before the termination of the first hour the dog was found. Our 

 stranger then started off for his sled, which was left some distance off 

 on the ice. To see that he really got away with his dogs I followed 

 to find the sled. Owing to the man}* hummocks on the ice, it took 

 us a long while to find it, in fact so long that I began to doubt the 

 integrity of the man's statement. On my return to camp, about 

 midnight, the moon just rolled over the mountains in the east and 

 gave a bright light on my lonely path. In camp all had gone to 

 dreamland, and none heard me join their band that early hour of 1 

 o'clock. 



The day has been a beautiful one, with a light westerly wind. Due 

 to the disturbances of last night, we did not leave camp until a. m. 

 At noon we arrived direct!}' opposite St. Michael, on the south side 

 of St. Michael Baj'. Mr. Bals and I walked into the village to buy 

 a stove and some other things needed for the trip, wliile Sara and 

 Nallogoroak continued about 3 miles farther to make camp and 

 wait for our return in the evening. 



After having had a little lunch we proceeded to business, but a 

 stove which was fit for the journey could not be had until the next 

 morning. Capt. C. Y. Malmquist, the Northern Commercial Com- 

 pany's agent, invited us for the night and treated us most ro^^ally. 



