or chief
dog of a team by whipping all the dogs in the team of his particular
master. When he has asserted his supremacy over the dogs of his own
team, he is successively set before the rulers of other teams. And by
a process of elimination of those which lose, the two final victors in
a village are finally aligned against one another.

In the series of fights held between the king dogs of the various
teams, both Papik's and Attalaq's had come off with final honors. The
immediate contest between the two most distinguished canines in the
village was an event of exciting importance, and to the women there was
a romantic zest in it, for all believed that victory would determine
Ahningnetty's favor.

At the time of the event all who could do so crowded into Attalaq's
stone house. In the centre of a tense group of onlookers the two dogs
were placed before each other. They were handsome animals, with long
keen noses, denoting an aristocracy of canine birth, and long shaggy
coats, mottled brown and white, as soft as silk. A long line of
victories lay to the credit of each.

A sharp howl announced the fight--the two lithe bodies leaped
together--the air within the little circle became electric. The dogs
snapped, tumbled over each other. Their sharp teeth sank into each
other's shanks. The natives cheered whenever a favorite secured an
advantage. Bets were made. Papik's eyes gleamed as he alternately
watched his dog and the face of Ahningnetty as she peered interestedly
over the onlookers' shoulders. Attalaq's countenance was grim--not a
muscle moved.

Finally Attalaq's dog, with a chagrined growl, unexpectedly rushed from
the enclosure and crouched in a corner of the igloo.

The natives effusively gathered about Papik, who bent over his dog with
proud affection. In the excitement Ahningnetty quickly left the igloo,
and standing outside gazed meditatively at the stars. They hung in the
sky above like great pendulous jewels, palpitant with interior
name--there were purple stars, and blue stars, and orange-colored
stars; some resembled monstrous amethysts, some emeralds fierily green,
some rubies spitting sparks vindictively red; others globular sheeny
pearls, creamy of lustre but shot with faint gleams of rose; and
fugitively sprinkling the firmament here and there were orbs that
glistened like diamonds, wonderfully and purely white. Saturn,
distinct among all the heavenly bodies, throbbed with a van-colored