466 THE ESKIMO ABOUT BERING STRAIT [eth.ann. 18 



down liis sleeves, saying, "That is bad, for my daughter lias told me 

 that if a fire-drill is found in a whale and people try to cut up that 

 whale many of them Avill die. I shall run away." And away he ran. 



When Raven had gone the people looked at one another and said, 

 "Perhaps he is right;" and away they all ran, every one trying to rub 

 the oil off his hands as he went. From his hiding place near by Raven 

 looked on and laughed as the people ran away, and then he went for 

 his mask and coat. After proc;iriug them he returned to tlie whale and 

 began catting it up and carrying the flesh back from the shore. As 

 he thought of the feast in store for him he even said, " Thanks" to the 

 shades. 



When he had stored away enough meat he wished to save some oil, 

 but had no bag to put it in, so he walked along the shore trying to 

 find a seal. He had gone only a short distance when he saw a mink 

 run swiftly by, and he called out, " What are you running after so fast? 

 Are you going for something to eat?" 



Mink stopped, and pushing up his nose like a mask, as Raven had 

 done with his beak, became a small, dark-colored man. Then Raven 

 cried, "Ah, you will be my friend? I have plenty of food, but I am 

 lonely, for I have no one with me." To this Mink agreed, and both 

 walked back to the whale and went to work, but Mink did the most 

 for Raven was very lazy. 



They made grass bags and mats for the meat and blubber, storing great 

 quantities of it in holes in the ground. After this was done they built 

 a fine kashim. When it was finished Raven said, "It is lonely; let us 

 make a feast." And he told Mink to go out and invite the sea people to 

 join them. 



To this Mink agreed, so next morning he started out, while Raven 

 made a short, round, slender rod, at one end of which he painted two 

 rings with charcoal paint. When he had finished this, he gathered a 

 large ball of sticky spruce gum, which he placed with the rod in the 

 kashim. 



Mink soon returned and told Raven that on the morrow plenty of sea 

 people would come to the feast. To this Raven answered, "Thanks." 

 Early the next morning Mink called Raven outside and pointed toward 

 the sea, the surface of which was covered with different kinds of seals 

 coming to the feast. Raven went back into the kashim, while Mink 

 went down to the water to meet the guests and escort them to the 

 house. 



As each seal came on shore he pushed up his mask and became a 

 small man, and all entered the house until it was full. Raven looked 

 about at the guests and exclaimed, " What a number of people. 

 How shall I be able to make a feast for all of you ? But never mind ; 

 let me first rub the eyes of some of you with this stuff, in order that 

 you may be able to see better; it is dark in here." 



With his ball of gum Raven then fastened shut the eyes of every 



