This is done by loosening
as large a stone as possible with the foot, and with this stone as a
battering-ram another and larger one is loosened, which in turn serves
as the battering-ram to loosen the others. Often it is found necessary
to use a narrow, wedge-like stone as a lever, or to force the other
stones apart. The cache is always made more conspicuous by leaving the
antlers to protrude above the stones.
After his meat has been secured and he has refreshed himself with a
pipe, the hunter makes a bundle of the skin and the meat attached to
the sinew and tallow, and wends his way to his tupic, where his wife or
wives await him. His favorite wife takes the meat (oo-le-oo-she-nee)
and strips the sinew (oo-le-oo-tic) from it by holding the meat in her
teeth while she cuts the sinew from it with her knife, which is shaped
like a currier's knife. She then chews off the meat that still adheres
to the sinew until it is perfectly clean, and hangs it up to dry, when
it is separated into its fibres and becomes thread (ever-loo). In the
meantime the other wife, with her teeth, cleans the fleshy side of the
skin of the meat and fat that may still adhere to it, and if the sun is
still shining stretches the skin upon the ground to dry, holding it in
place by small stones placed around the edge. At night the skins are
brought into the tent to keep them away from the dogs, and they are
again put out in the sun every day until thoroughly dried.
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