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"Kalitan Tenas," was the brief reply. "Where are we?" was the next question. "Near to Pilchickamin River." "Where is a camp?" "There," said the boy, pointing toward a clump of pine-trees. "Ours." Ted by this time was tired of his own unwonted silence, and he came up to Kalitan, holding out his hand.
These are the finest glaciers in the world, except, perhaps, those of the Himalayas. "This bids fair to be a wonderfully interesting place for my work, Ted, and I'm glad you're likely to be satisfied with your new friends, for I shall have to go to many places and do a lot of things less interesting than the things Kalitan can show you.
The canoes were nearing the shore of a wooded island, and Ted saw a fringe of trees and some native houses clustered picturesquely against them at the crest of a small hill which sloped down to the water's edge where stood a group of people awaiting the canoes. "My home," said Kalitan, pointing to the largest house, "my people."
Once more the creature dived, and this time he stayed down only a few minutes, and, when he came up, blood spouted into the air and dyed the sea crimson, and Kalitan exclaimed: "Pierced his lungs! Now he must die." There was one more bright, glancing weapon flying through the air, and Ted noticed attached to it by a thong a curious-looking bulb, and asked Kalitan: "What is on that lance?"
The fire was built up, Ted and Kalitan gathering cones and fir branches, which made a fragrant blaze, while Chetwoof cared for the dogs, and the old chief helped Mr. Strong pitch his tent in the lee of some fragrant firs. Soon all was prepared and supper cooking over the coals, a supper of fresh fish and seal fat, which Alaskans consider a great delicacy, and to which Mr.
He even spoke to Tyee Klake on occasions when that august personage had not only not asked him a question, but was not speaking at all. From the Thlinkit point of view, this was a most remarkable performance on Ted's part, but Kalitan thought it must be all right for a "Boston boy," for even the stern old chief seemed to regard happy-go-lucky Ted with approval.
"Tell us about that," said Kalitan, so Ted told them many tales in the moonlight, as they sat beneath the shadows of the quaint and curious totem-poles of Kalitan's tribe. Teddy's month upon the island stretched out into two. His father came and went, finding the boy so happy and well that he left him with an easy mind.
"In winter there is nothing to do but to hunt and fish," said Kalitan. "Sometimes we do not find much game, then we think of how, when a Thlinkit dies, he has plenty. If he has lived as a good tribesman, his kyak glides smoothly over the silver waters into the sunset, until, o'er gently flowing currents, it reaches the place of the mighty forest.
"People pay as high as sixty-five dollars for an Alaskan blanket, and not always a perfect one at that. Many of the Indians are using dyed yarns to weave them, but yours is the genuine article, made from white goat's wool, long and soft, and dyed only in the native reds and blacks. We shall have to do something nice for Tanana when you leave." "I'd like to give her something, and Kalitan, too."
Upon reaching a layer which seemed to be a good one, the gravel on top was stripped off and thrown aside and the 'pay streak' worked with the rocker." "What is that?" asked Ted, who was all ears, while Kalitan was taking in everything with his sharp black eyes. "That arrangement that looks like a square pan on a saw-buck is the rocker.
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