The Eternal Maiden | Page 7

walrus.
Maisanguaq stood by, silent, evil exultation shining in his eyes.
While the Sipsu was moaning his spell over the pile of bones,
Maisanguaq turned and left the tent. Out on the sea he saw the kayaks
of his departing companions.
"Good luck, Maisanguaq, have courage in the chase! Remember
Annadoah awaits you all!" Annadoah called blithely and coquettishly
after him.
Maisanguaq's lips tightened, his heart leaped, but well he knew that he
meant nothing to the maiden, well he knew what little chance he had,
and envy filled him, and bitter doubt, for he knew Ootah's prowess, his
strength of limb, and braveness of heart. However, he put out with
quick powerful strokes, and with a sense of anticipated triumph, for he
was confident that the magician by his necromancy had created in the
depths of the sea a tupilak, or artificial walrus, which should attack
Ootah. He knew it might upset Ootah's kayak and cause him to be
drowned. The probabilities were, however, that it would permit itself to

be harpooned, in which case its blighting curse would fall upon Ootah,
who would lose all power and strength of limb, whose body would
become bent and crippled and racked with the kangerdlugpoq, and who
would die slowly, inch by inch. Thus, Ootah would be helpless the rest
of his days and as he died all the dreadful horrors of the curses would
come upon him. Thus would Maisanguaq be revenged.
As the midnight sun dipped below the horizon, the sea became more
deeply golden. To the women watching along the shore, the multitude
of kayaks became mere black specks. They disappeared now and then
behind the crests of leaping waves, and reappearing moved with the
swiftness of birds along the horizon.
At the entrance of her tent Annadoah stood, one hand shading her eyes
as they pierced the radiant distance. From the mountain passes behind
the village echoed the joyous howls of approaching dogs. Something
stirred in the heart of Annadoah--something fluttered there like the
wings of a frightened bird.
Ootah's paddle touched the water with the softness of a feather, yet so
quickly that the double blades emitted constant flashes of light
intermittently on either side. His arms moved with consummate ease.
His kayak made a dark blurred line as it sped forward over the yellow
waters. Soon he had outdistanced the party. Then his speed slackened,
he glanced behind.
The other kayaks darted after him like erratic bugs. The land was a
mere curve on the horizon; all about him the sea rose and fell, and from
the shimmering mirror of every wave the sunlight shot backward in
various directions. A thousand golden searchlights seemed playing over
the sea. Now and then through the coppery mists an emerald green berg
loomed titanically, and as it slowly bore down upon him, Ootah would
gracefully manipulate one end of his paddle and shift his kayak about
while the berg lurched toweringly onward. As he gained distance from
the land the ocean swelled with increasing volume. His frail skin kayak
was lifted high on the oily crests of waves, and as it descended with
swift rushes, Ootah felt exultant thrills in his heart. Far away he heard
the resounding explosion of ice bergs colliding. A low bellow arose
from a floe immediately ahead. Ootah's blood leaped, the spirit of the
hunter throbbed in his veins, his nostrils sensitively quivered. With a
slow silent movement of the paddle, he prevented his kayak from going

too great a distance forward in order to await the others. Judging by the
sound of the muffled bellowing, he assumed that the great animals were
sunning themselves on the southern ridge of the floe. His tactics were
to paddle about to the north, land on the floe, and descend upon the
walrus from the protection of the ridges of crushed ice which always
abound on these rafts of the arctic sea.
While he retarded the kayak and played with his paddle, Ootah became
conscious of disquieting things in the world about him.
In the heavens he saw low lying clouds moving slowly southward.
Higher above, clouds moved more swiftly in another direction.
"The quilanialeqisut (air spirits) are not at rest," murmured Ootah. "O
spirits of the air, what disturbs your ease?"
The clouds in the higher ether circled as if in an eddy of wind.
Certainly the spirits were not at peace among themselves.
"Spirits of the air," spake Ootah, "waft your caresses to Annadoah's
cheeks. Tell her Ootah waits to kill the walrus, that Ootah loves her and
would make Annadoah his wife--neuilacto Annadoah; tell Annadoah
Ootah presses his nose to hers and calls her Mamacadosa (of all things
that which tastes the most delightful)."
A gust swept the clouds from the zenith. Still no breath