38 A Canadian Arctic Expedition, 1913-18 



But then orphan boys are taught to speak in that way. Come, let your fine 

 talking help you now." But the orphan breathed on the son, who was driven 

 towards Inuqaqnailaq, and both men moved towards the knife. The son began 

 to scream, and the orphan held them both off by the hair of their heads untd 

 it was all pulled out. He spoke to Inuqaqnailaq, upbraiding him and threaten- 

 ing to kill his son, so that Inuqaqnailaq began to weep and caught hold of the 

 son. But the orphan hewed him to pieces, then pushed the father also against 

 the knife, and cut off his head and hacked him to pieces. All the people in the 

 settlement rejoiced. The orphan ate a little food, then set out for his home 

 early in the morning. Everyone was afraid to approach him, for he was im- 

 mensely powerful; in this contest with Inuqaqnailaq he had not exerted half 

 his full strength. Following his old trail home, he reached his kinsmen, and told 

 the chief that he had thrown the murderer of his son to tlie dogs to devour, 

 whereupon the chief gave him his daughter in marriage. Her brother became 

 much attached to him, and the family made him very wealthy. A few days 

 afterwards they were joined by the inhabitants of the settlement he had just 

 visited, and all lived together. The boy's grandmother never went outside of 

 her house. 



Cf. Rasmussen and Worster, p. 71. 



10. The Wolf's Bride 



(Translation of Text X. Told by Ugiarnaq, a Cape Prince of Wales Eskimo 

 man, to a household at Cape Halkett, January 1, 1914, and dictated after- 

 wards by two of his audience, Itaqluq and Alfred Hobson, both of Barrow) 



There were two people, a man and his wife, hving alone with their only- 

 child on the seashore. They knew nothing of the existence of other people until 

 their daughter reached womanhood. One mor.iing she rose as usual while her 

 parents were still asleep, and went outside to look round the horizon. As she 

 gazed, she saw something black a little way inland, which she watched for a 

 while, then went over to examine. She found a freshly killed caribou, so she 

 returned home and told her parents. They immediately arose, and all three 

 went over, cut it up, and carried it home. That day they had a good feast, 

 and in the evening retired to bed, just as usual. While they were sleeping, the 

 daughter woke with a violent throbbing of the heart. She started up and looked 

 round, and saw what seemed to be a wolf's tail. However, it disappeared, so 

 she went to sleep again, and was not disturbed any more that night. 



The following day there was no sign of anything, and when evening came 

 on, the family all retired to bed as usual. For the second time, the girl was 

 awakened by the violent throbbing of her heart. She opened her eyes rather 

 sleepily, and saw again what looked like a wolf's tail; but just as before it 

 immediately disappeared, and she fell asleep again and did not see it any more. 

 When she went outside and scanned the horizon again in the morning, leaving 

 her parents still asleep, she saw something black down on the sea iee. She went 

 over, and found a freshly killed seal, so she returned and told her parents. Her 

 father told her to bring it in, and when this was done, he cut it up, and they ate 

 heartily of seal meat that day; then at night they went to bed again. Once 

 more the girl was awakened in exactly the same way, but as she looked slowly 

 around she saw, not a wolf's tail, but a wolverine's. This time she rose and 

 took her lamp-stick and went outside; but whatever it was it had disappeared, 

 so she went inside again. 



Next day she could find no trace of anything, but in the evening they heard 

 the footsteps of a man outside. Then the door was opened, and there entered 

 a young man whose clothes were fringed with wolf fur. He sat down opposite 

 the girl and said, "I have come at my father's bidding;" but before he could 

 proceed any further more footsteps were heard outside, the door opened a second 



