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Hunt moose caribou." The old Ingalik came in, followed by others. "Some" of the bucks? There seemed no end to the throng. Opposite the white men the Indians sat in a semicircle, with the sole intent, you might think, of staring all night at the strangers. Yet they had brought in Arctic hares and grouse, and even a haunch of venison.
The Colonel made much of the pleasant and excellent man at the head of the Episcopal mission there, and the Boy haunted Benham's store, picking up a little Ingalik and the A. C. method of trading with the Indians, who, day and night, with a number of stranded Klondykers, congregated about the grateful warmth of the big iron stove.
Presently, "Do you know my friend Nicholas of Pymeut?" asked the Boy. Kurilla took his empty pipe out of his mouth and smiled in broad surprise. "Nicholas!" repeated several others. It was plain the Pymeut pilot enjoyed a wide repute. The Boy spoke of the famine and Ol' Chief's illness. "It is true," said Unookuk gravely, and turning, he added something in Ingalik to the company.
"I should say there were several of 'him," laughed Tad Butler. "They seemed to be stirred up about something. Are they timber wolves, Anvik?" The guide nodded and grunted. "Are you afraid of wolves?" demanded Rector. "No 'fraid wolves. Mebby 'fraid Ingalik." Tad drew from this that the Indian had something in mind that he had not spoken to them about.
Big feast, big feed, tell heap big stories, big dance. Oh, heap big time. Innuit go, plenty Ingalik go. Me got pony, too. Buy um from Ingalik man." "According to his story he seems to be the big noise up here," muttered Ned Rector. "He has a pony. That is one point in his favor," said Tad. "Wait till you see it before you call it a pony," advised Stacy. "Me got gun, too. Me shoot. Bang!"
Peetka made remarks in Ingalik. "Father MacManus, him all right?" asked Kurilla, politely cloaking his cross-examination. "MacManus? Do you mean Wills, or the Superior, Father Brachet?" "Oh yes! MacManus at Tanana." He spoke as though inadvertently he had confused the names. As the strangers gave him the winter's news from Holy Cross, his wonder and astonishment grew.
Stacy staggered back, clapping a hand to his forehead. "I'm shot!" he cried dramatically. "Stacy, do restrain yourself until we get out on the trail again," begged the Professor. "Me make snare. Me catch big game in snare. Me heap big pilot. Me Ingalik." "Have some cheese," urged Chunky, passing a chunk to the now squatting Indian.
Big Innuit feast." "When?" "Pretty quick. Every year big feast down to Ikogimeut when Yukon ice get hard, so man go safe with dog-team." "Do many people go?" "All Innuit go, plenty Ingalik go." "How far do they come?" "All over; come from Koserefsky, come from Anvik sometime Nulato." "Why, Nulato's an awful distance from Ikogimeut."
No, he didn't think so. All the men who had teams were gone to the hills for caribou; there was nobody to send to the Summer Caches. He held out his hand again for the first instalment of the "eightee dolla," in kind, that he might put it in his pipe. "But dogs are no good to us without something to feed 'em." The Ingalik looked round as one seeking counsel. "Get fish tomalla." "No, sir.
It was a good many days before they got the dazzle of that gold out of their eyes. They found their tongues again, and talked "Minóok" from morning till night among themselves and with the rare passer up or down the trail. Mac began to think they might get dogs at Anvik, or at one of the Ingalik villages, a little further on. The balance of opinion in the camp was against this view.
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