[Footnote: Another account states
that Glooskap took the Squirrel in his hands and smoothed him down.]
Then he asked the great White Bear what he would do if he met an
Indian; and the Bear said, "Eat him." And the Master bade him go and
live among rocks and ice, where he would see no Indians.
So he questioned all the beasts, changing their size or allotting their
lives according to their answers.
He took the Loon for his dog; but the Loon absented himself so much
that he chose for this service two wolves,--one black and one white,
[Footnote: Dogs are used for beasts of burden, to draw sledges, in the
North.] But the Loons are always his tale-bearers. Many years ago a man
very far to the North wished to cross a bay, a great distance, from one
point to another. As he was stepping into his canoe he saw a man with
two dogs,--one black and one white,--who asked to be set across. The
Indian said, "You may go, but what will become of your dogs?" Then the
stranger replied, "Let them go round by land." "Nay," replied the
Indian, "that is much too far." But the stranger saying nothing, he put
him across. And as they reached the landing place there stood the dogs.
But when he turned his head to address the man, he was gone. So he said
to himself, "I have seen Glooskap."
Yet again,--but this was not so many years ago,--far in the North there
were at a certain place many Indians assembled.
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