Page:Life with the Esquimaux - 1864 - Volume 2.djvu/267

248 cared nothing for blows. As a piece of meat was rescued from the jaws of one, another, and perhaps two others, as quickly had it. Blow followed blow; dogs flew this way and that, all acting like devils, determined to conquer or die in their devouring work. It was quite five minutes before the battle was through, and not then till Koojesse leaped the

WE MUST CONQUER OR STARVE.

walls of the igloo, and came to our assistance. During this mêlée, Henry unfortunately broke the wood portion of Koojesse's oo-nar (seal-spear), and this enraged the Innuit to a degree not esaily to be described, for no instrument is constructed by the natives with more care than this.

The following day, April 17th, I made an exploring trip up Beauty Bay, and on my return found that our igloo had fallen in. The sun was now becoming so powerful that the upper