The funeral ceremonies covered four
days, and the morning of the fifth "Papa" visited the grave, and after
his return there was nothing to prevent the usual course of events
which the burial and mourning customs had interrupted. Even the dogs
could be fed if there was anything to give them to eat.
It was a mournful camp after the hunters got in, Friday night, the
12th of the month, empty handed. They all felt the danger that again
threatened them, as it had done twice before during the winter, when
they had to kill and eat some of their starving dogs. People spoke
to each other in whispers, and everything was quiet, save for the
never-ceasing and piteous cries of the hungry children, begging for
food which their parents could not give them. Most of the time I stayed
in bed, trying to keep warm and to avoid exercise that would only make
me all the more hungry. It was impossible to keep warm this night, and
my aching limbs drove sleep from my eyes.
The closing ceremony was a most touching one. After "Papa" had returned
from the grave, Armow went out of doors and brought in a piece of
frozen something that it is not polite to specify further than that the
dogs had entirely done with it, and with it he touched every block of
snow in a level with the beds of the igloo. The article was then taken
out of doors and tossed up in the air to fall at his feet, and by the
manner in which it fell he could joyfully announce that there was no
liability of further deaths in camp for some time to come.
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