the snow. Not till late in the day did any life manifest
itself round the tepees, and then a group of children, poorly clad in
ragged pieces of blankets and skins, gaped at Jones. He saw their
pinched, brown faces, staring, hungry eyes, naked legs and throats, and
noted particularly their dwarfish size. When he spoke they fled
precipitously a little way, then turned. He called again, and all ran
except one small lad. Jones went into the cabin and came out with a
handful of sugar in square lumps.

"Yellow Knife Indians," said Rea. "A starved tribe! We're in for it."

Jones made motions to the lad, but he remained still, as if transfixed,
and his black eyes stared wonderingly.

"Molar nasu (white man good)," said Rea.

The lad came out of his trance and looked back at his companions, who
edged nearer. Jones ate a lump of sugar, then handed one to the little
Indian. He took it gingerly, put it into his mouth and immediately
jumped up and down.

"Hoppiesharnpoolie! Hoppiesharnpoolie!" he shouted to his brothers and
sisters. They came on the run.

"Think he means sweet salt," interpreted Rea. "Of course these beggars
never tasted sugar."

The band of youngsters trooped round Jones, and after tasting the white
lumps, shrieked in such delight that the braves and squaws shuffled out
of the tepees.

In all his days Jones had never seen such miserable Indians. Dirty
blankets hid all their person, except straggling black hair, hungry,
wolfish eyes and moccasined feet. They crowded into the path before the
cabin door and mumbled and stared and waited. No dignity, no
brightness, no suggestion of friendliness marked this peculiar attitude.

"Starved!" exclaimed Rea. "They've come to the lake to invoke the Great
Spirit to send the reindeer. Buff, whatever you do, don't feed them. If
you do, we'll have them on our hands all winter. It's cruel, but, man,
we're in the north!"

Notwithstanding the practical trapper's admonition Jones could not
resist the pleading of the children. He could not stand by and see them
starve. After ascertaining there was absolutely nothing to eat in the
tepees, he invited the little ones into the cabin, and made a great pot
of soup, into which he dropped compressed biscuits. The savage children
were like wildcats. Jones had to call in Rea to assist him in keeping
the famished little aborigines from tearing each other to pieces. When
finally they were all fed, they had to be driven out of the cabin