WONDER TALES OF THE FOREST 19

“Numces—little sister—to-morrow, early in the morning, I shall go hunting; and I shall re- turn at mid-day. When you hear me call ‘Numees, come out and help me!’ do not come but wait until you have heard me call three times. Then you may come out.”

The sister waited within the Wigwam all the morning, and at mid-day she heard a great noise and trampling outside. Then she heard her brother call:

“Numees, my sister, come out and help me.” She waited as he had directed until the third call came, then she ran out. There before the Wigwam was a herd of moose and caribou!

Soon Usitabulajoo had all the hides stretched and drying, and the sister had cut the meat into thin strips to dry. Some of it they sent on ar- rows to Mrs. Bear, who knew then that the chil- dren were prospering.

Besides the hides and the dried meat, there was a great store of tallow, which the sister made into cakes; and she became very fond of rubbing this tallow on her hair, so that sometimes her hair looked like a white blanket over her shoulders. One day, when Usita— bulajoo was in the forest hunting, she wan- dered down by the side of the lake. As she sat there a great white bear came quietly out of the bushes and stood close beside her. She knew that this bear was an Indian who pre-