212 EXPLORATIONS IN THE FAR NORTH 



Wisagatchak was thoroughly frightened, and at once obeyed. 

 In his search for wood he found an ermine, to which he ap- 

 pealed for assistance. 



" My little brother, you can save me from the bear; you run 

 and jump down his throat and gnaw his heart. Do not be 

 afraid for I will not let him kill you." 



The ermine did as directed. The bear became impatient. 



"Be quick! be quick! my heart is aching!" and again, "hurry! 

 hurry!" 



Wisagatchak purposely delayed until the bear fell, dying from 

 the wounds inflicted by the little ermine. Then he threw heavy 

 sticks upon him, saying, "There is your wood, much good may 

 it do you." 



In those days the ermine's fur was red, making it a pretty 

 but conspicuous animal. Wisagatchak found that his little 

 friend had perished, but life was at once restored by the manito, 

 who dismissed him with these words, "You have helped me, 

 my little brother, I will reward you by changing your color, so 

 that your enemies cannot see you. You shall be brown in 

 summer and white as the snow in winter." 



How Touchwood Originated. 



One day, as Wisagatchak was going along, he came upon a 

 large flock of waterfowl, including a number of nice fat geese. 

 Quickly forming a plan to get some of them, he went into the 

 muskeg and gathered a bag of moss with which he approached 

 the geese, who called to him, "What have you in that bag?" 



"Those are my songs, I am a musician." 



"Make us a dance, then." 



"All right," said Wisagatchak, "I will make a big medicine 

 lodge, and you must do as I tell you in the song." 



They promised to do so, and fell to dancing, gradually ar- 

 ranging themselves in a long line with their necks crossed and 

 their eyes shut as the song proceeded. A loon near the door 

 noticed that the manito sometimes mumbled his song or ceased 

 altogether for a moment; becoming suspicious, he opened one 

 eye a little and saw the singer biting off the head of a goose, 

 several of which were already lying dead. 



" Ho, Wisagatchak! Wisagatchak! He will kill us all!" cried 

 the loon. Everything was instantly. in an uproar. As the 



