Publisher's Synopsis
Old Koskoosh listened greedily. Though his sight had long since faded, his hearing was still acute, andthe slightest sound penetrated to the glimmering intelligence which yet abode behind the witheredforehead, but which no longer gazed forth upon the things of the world. Ah! that was Sit-cum-to-ha, shrilly anathematizing the dogs as she cuffed and beat them into the harnesses. Sit-cum-to-ha was hisdaughter's daughter, but she was too busy to waste a thought upon her broken grandfather, sitting alonethere in the snow, forlorn and helpless. Camp must be broken. The long trail waited while the short dayrefused to linger. Life called her, and the duties of life, not death. And he was very close to death now.The thought made the old man panicky for the moment, and he stretched forth a palsied hand whichwandered tremblingly over the small heap of dry wood beside him. Reassured that it was indeed there, his hand returned to the shelter of his mangy furs, and he again fell to listening. The sulky crackling ofhalf-frozen hides told him that the chief's moose-skin lodge had been struck, and even then was beingrammed and jammed into portable compass. The chief was his son, stalwart and strong, head man of thetribesmen, and a mighty hunter. As the women toiled with the camp luggage, his voice rose, chidingthem for their slowness. Old Koskoosh strained his ears. It was the last time he would hear that voice.There went Geehow's lodge! And Tusken's! Seven, eight, nine; only the shaman's could be still standing.There! They were at work upon it now. He could hear the shaman grunt as he piled it on the sled. Achild whimpered, and a woman soothed it with soft, crooning gutturals. Little Koo-tee, the old manthought, a fretful child, and not overstrong. It would die soon, perhaps, and they would burn a holethrough the frozen tundra and pile rocks above to keep the wolverines away. Well, what did it matter? Afew years at best, and as many an empty belly as a full one. And in the end, Death waited, ever-hungryand hungriest of them al
