feather showed and, first bowing low to
Hoon-nach, Yunda-haech, Sa-nach, and Deckta-haech,[5] who guard the
four corners of the earth, walked slowly around the sides three
times, at every third step stopping and making strange motions and
stranger sounds, as does an Icht[6] when he would drive the evil
spirits away.

[5] _North, East, South and West._

[6] _Witch Doctor._

"From each corner he took a stone and spat upon it and cast it over
his shoulder, and in the dust drew the shapes of animals like unto
rolled deer-thongs, animals with two tongues such as no man has
seen upon earth.[7]

[7] _Snakes are unknown in Alaska._

"To the space Yaeethl dragged logs and laid them end across end and
bottom on top. As each tier was laid he sang words in a strange
language, and as he sang, spat upon and cast pebbles over his
shoulder as before.

"But toward Heenhadowa were the eyes and tongue of Yaeethl the eyes
of the blind and the tongue of the dumb. Busily he worked and
loudly sang his charms, but to the Thirst Spirit he gave neither
look nor word.

"On Yaeethl were the eyes of Heenhadowa fastened, strained were his
eyes, watching the doings of the Raven, wide his ears to catch the
words of the songs and charms.

[Illustration]

"When the roof was on and the house finished to the last piece of
moss between the logs, Yaeethl again circled it three times, bowed
again to the guardians of the earth's ends, and without looking
behind, entered the lodge and closed the door.

"Curiosity filled eyes and ears, heart and belly of Heenhadowa.
Though he had lived since the Beginning, never before had he seen
what that day he had seen, never had his ears been greeted with
such words and songs.

"And to Heenhadowa the inside of the lodge was the pack, as was the
outside the lone wolf tail.

"Even so had Yaeethl planned, nor was that the end of the cunning
of the Raven, who knew that no door can bar the going in of
curiosity.

"Long sat Heenhadowa before the door of his well-house, gazing at
the lodge of Yaeethl. And the longer he sat and the longer he gazed
the keener grew his desire to see what was hidden from his eyes by
the walls and closed door, grew until it tortured him as the
thirsty are tortured, beyond endurance.

"And Heenhadowa rose from his seat by the well.

"From the place where he had sat for ages rose the Thirst Spirit
and stepped softly. Toward the closed door he moved as moves one
who is pull