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Page 41
Ootah lay with his eyes closed; he seemed to float in the auroral skies
without, in the very happy land of the dead. He forgot the pain in his
limbs, the furnace in his forehead. He felt only the soothing touch of
Annadoah's dear hands, and her breath at times very near, fanning his
face; he heard her voice murmuring to the onlooking natives. Not
satisfied with these ministrations, in which they really had little
faith, the others presently brought a young _angakoq_, one better loved
than the dead Sipsu. For being young he had not prophesied many deaths.
All moved away as the magician began beating his membrane drum over
Ootah's body. Working himself into frenzy, he called upon his familiar
spirits. For, according to their belief, illness, and the suffering
resultant from wounds, are actually caused by the spirits of the
various members of the body falling out of harmony. Then the _angakoq_
must persuade his friends in the other world to restore peace among the
spirits of the human hands, feet, head, or whatever limbs may be
affected. The soul, or great spirit, they say resides in one's shadow,
and sometimes this falls out of agreement with the minor spirits of the
body. Then one is in bad shape, indeed.
For half an hour the chant and dance continued. Meanwhile Ootah opened
his eyes and often smiled at Annadoah. He was better, he told them,
and motioned the _angakoq_ to go. He bade Annadoah sit beside him. He
felt unquestionably better.
"You have asked me whether I went far over the mountains? Yea, we
travelled many sleeps, yet we scarcely rested. The world was white
about us. The spirits carried us over dark places in the hills,
wherein _Perdlugssuaq_ makes his home. But he did not strike. We were
borne over abysses. The spirits of one's ancestors are often kind. We
went through the world of the fog, she who was the wife of that hill
spirit who carried the dead from their graves and ate them. Yea, she
passed beneath our feet. We came to the high mountains. We passed
upward where the eyes of strange beasts glared upon us. I was afraid.
But I called upon my father. Then the spirits of the great dead came
down upon us. They wove _kamiks_ and _ahttees_ of fire. Their eyes
burned as the great light of the stars. They did not regard us. We
came unto the _ahmingmah_ . . . But upon our return the hill spirits
who live in the caves wakened and struck with their great harpoons.
They shook the mountains. Then the good ancestors carried me through
_sila_--the world of the air--yea, my dogs, my sledge, and the
_ahmingmah_ meat. I had called upon those who went before me. I woke
at the bottom of the mountain, three of my dogs were crushed, my sledge
was broken . . . I lay there a while . . . I slept again . . .
often . . . Then I lashed the sled, ate a little of the _ahmingmah_
meat, and came . . . hither . . . How . . . Ootah knows not . . . It
was hard at times . . . I could hardly walk . . . the ice moved about
me . . . always . . . so--" He described a circle with his hand. "But
I bethought me of Annadoah--" he smiled--"and I said I go to
Annadoah . . . That is how I came . . . I said Annadoah is
hungry--yea, as I said it when the eyes looked at me on the mountains,
when the hill spirits made my heart grow cold, when Koolotah desired to
return . . . Koolotah--he hath gone . . . Koolotah's dogs are
gone . . . But I called upon my dead father, my dead grandfather, and
the older ones--and I thought of Annadoah." He leaned toward her
yearningly, his voice trembling. Fearfully the girl drew away. "It is
she who brought the _ahmingmah_ meat," he said. "It is she who led me
to the _ahmingmah_. Yea, she brings you the _ahmingmah_ meat. For the
thought of her brings Ootah back after the spirits strike . . . It is
she, who lives in the heart of Ootah, who has done all this . . . But
you are hungry. Come!"
He rose slowly and crept through the underground tunnel leading from
the igloo. The others followed. Without, most of the tribe were
waiting. At Ootah's command the men unlashed the sledge-load of meat,
and the division began. To Annadoah Ootah gave one-eighth of the load,
enough to last by frugal use for more than two moons, or months. Among
the others, of whom there were about twenty-five, the remainder was
proportionately divided. For himself Ootah reserved only as much as he
gave the others.
Outside Annadoah's igloo all engaged in a joyous revel. Hungrily they
feasted upon the raw meat. Then they beat drums and danced. Their
voices rose in hilarious chants. Wild joy shook them. Ootah was
acclaimed hero of the tribe. Although they have no chiefs, he was
accorded the honor of being the bravest and strongest among them. And
to the strongest and most heroic the last word in all things belongs.
Of all who were able to participate in the celebration, Maisanguaq
alone retired. From the seclusion of his igloo entrance he watched the
scene with rancor in his heart.
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