ulging
in a patronising smile instead of sharing their surprise.

"I know what it is," he said quietly. "I have seen it before, in the
stores of the fur-traders, but never so big as that."

Familiarity, it is said, breeds contempt. After gazing at themselves in
the miraculous mirror for some time, an idea occurred to Anteek. He
suddenly shot out his tongue, which happened to be a very long one.
Anteek's reflection did the same. Thereupon Oolalik opened his mouth
wide and laughed. So did Oolalik's reflection, which had such an effect
upon Cheenbuk that he also burst into a fit of laughter. The girls,
pressing forward to see what it was, likewise presented grinning faces,
which formed such a contrast to the grave countenance of Nazinred, as he
stood there in all the dignity of superior knowledge, that the whole
party went off into uncontrollable explosions, which fed upon what they
created until the tears were running down the cheeks of the Eskimos, and
the Indian himself was constrained at last to smile benignly.

But mirth gave place to solemnity again, not unmingled with pity, as
they spent hour after hour examining the various parts of the forsaken
ship. Of course they could go over only a small part of it that day.
When the short day came to a close they went to the shore and encamped
in their usual way--not daring to sleep on board a big canoe, about
which as yet they knew so little.

On shore they found more subjects of interest and perplexity, for here
were several mounds marked by crosses, and a large mound surmounted by a
pole on the top of which were fluttering a few remnants of red cloth.
The shape of the smaller mounds naturally led them to infer that they
were the graves of white men who had died there, but the large mound was
inexplicable until Nazinred recollected having seen a flag hoisted on a
pole at the fort on Great Bear Lake.

"I remember," he said to Cheenbuk, "that the traders used to hoist a
piece of cloth to the top of a pole like this, at times, when something
of importance happened. Perhaps the chief of the big canoe died and was
buried here, and they hoisted the red cloth over him to mark the place."

"My father may be right," observed the Eskimo; "but why did they put
such a heap of stones above him?"

"Perhaps to keep the bears from getting at him," returned the Indian
thoughtfully, "or, it may be, to show him great respect."

Resting satisfied with these surmises, the two me