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"Methinks thou wilt perhaps join the fishes first, friend Maisanguaq," a familiar voice laughed joyously behind him. Maisanguaq's face became livid with dismay. Had the angakoq failed? And why? Turning, he saw Ootah, not far away, clambering from the water onto the floe. He was unscathed by the mishap the water even had not penetrated his skin garments.
That such a journey meant almost certain death he knew; but that did not deter him in the resolve to essay a feat no native had ever dared in many hundreds of years. The face of Sipsu, the angakoq, as I have said, resembled dried and wrinkled leather. He had been an old man when the eldest of the tribe were children.
And the third whispered: "She is as the hungry hill spirit who feasts upon the entrails of the dead. Yea, she carrieth off the souls of the children. Ioh! Iooh!" Their voices rose in a maniacal cry of terror and denunciation. Annadoah rose. Clasping her hands, she demanded piteously: "Why . . . sayest ye this of me?" And they shrieked: "Thou stealest souls! By the angakoq shalt thou be accursed!"
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.
To Ootah this was a good augury for when a maiden turns her back upon a suitor she thinks favorably of him. This is the custom. Ootah felt a new strength in his veins. He felt himself master of all the prey in the sea. At the entrance of the tent of Sipsu, the angakoq, or native magician, stood Maisanguaq, one of the rivals for the hand of Annadoah.
Ootah heard the voice of Annadoah and that of another. The black bird in the sky screamed. Not far distant in the tent of the angakoq Ootah heard the low disquieting sound of a drum beaten in some malevolent incantation. His heart sank as heavily as a dead walrus sinks in the sea. Something stifled him.
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.
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.
"No, no! No, no!" the girl pleaded, falling on her knees and weeping. Although they suddenly ceased their reviling, hearing outside the barking of dogs, the women thereafter in secret often assembled together; there were ominous whisperings; and each time a child died visits were paid to the angakoq, and the unseen powers were invoked to bring misfortune to Annadoah.
Maisanguaq exultantly murmured, his eyes alight. "Happy angakoq! Thou shalt have much of Ootah's meat!" Over the spot where Ootah sank the sun flamed. The water seethed with the threshing of the animals beneath the sea. Ootah's float finally rose. The natives watched breathlessly for the reappearance of Ootah. The float bobbed up and down as the animal's death struggles beneath the water subsided.
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