--"

"Where is this island?" broke in Lucile, too eager to know their
position on the shore of the Arctic to hear him through.

"Yes," he smiled, "this island is here, very small. This one is here,
very large." Again the imaginary circles were drawn.

Lucile smiled and was silent.

"This one large island," the native went on, "this one plenty Eskimo.
Come to visit some Eskimo. Some live here, these Eskimo.

"Pretty soon come big ice-floe. Wanna cross, these people. Can't.
Wanna cross, one boy. Try cross. Broke foot. You see. Come house.
Fell down. Think die, that boy. Wanna come in. Pretty soon, open
door, white women, you. See white women; scared, that boy, too much
scared. Wanna run, that boy. Can't. Pretty soon see white woman
good, kind, that one boy. Plenty fix up foot. Plenty eat, that boy.
Wanna stay.

"Pretty soon come plenty wind; plenty ice. Wanna cross ice all time,
those Eskimo. Now can cross. Cross plenty Eskimo, plenty dog-team.
Come this island, one little island. See?"

"Where is this island?" Lucile broke in again.

"Yes," the speaker smiled frankly, "one big island, one little island.
Wanna cross people. All cross people."

Again Lucile was silent.

"Pretty soon," he resumed, "see light in Alongmeet's (white man's)
house. Wanna know who come island. Look. See two white face in
window; two white women. Then pretty much scared. One witch-doctor,
old man, hair all so," he rubbed up his hair. "Say that witch-doctor,
'No come white women this island; too much ice, no come. Spirits come;
that's all.' Say that one witch-doctor, 'Must kill white woman
spirits; must burn house. Wanna burn house quick.'

"I say, 'No burn; no spirits mebbe. White women mebbe.'

"He say, that witch-doctor, he say, 'No white woman, white spirit,
that's all.' All people say, 'Spirit! Spirit! Burn! Burn!' All
wanna burn.

"Me, I wanna stop burn. No can do. Wanna burn. Bring wood, bring
oil, all that Eskimo. Pretty soon fire. Wanna come in mine. No can
do.

"By and by come that one boy, rush outa cabin; wanna tell no burn
house. No spirit; white woman, that's all. No burn. He say, that
boy, 'No burn. See white woman eat fish. Spirits no eat fish.'

"Then all the people say quick, 'No burn! No burn!' So no burn. See?
That's all."

The Eskimo smiled frankly, as he mopped the perspiration from his brow.

"They wanted to burn us because they thought we were spirits,