C Ihe Ladies c cu. V'VVAN - History and Classics, Department of

62 THE LADIES, THE GWICH'IN, AND THE RATUnidentified womanwearingparka, 1926.Clara Coltman Rogers(ty!!),an). Collection ofEdward l;Sallry.not, for, like the dancer, I had left my own consciousness and gone back intosome region of prehistoric time and from that far place I could bring nothingback.I can only remember stumbling out from that room with my companion whilethe merriment was in full swing and making our way back to the steamer. It was 2in the morning, but the sun had never set. The light seemed to be clear as glassand the Arctic forest beyond the river quiet as any painted thing.When I went out for a stroll that morning after breakfast, the cabins showed nosign of life. The store was closed, the wireless office was closed, the settlement wassilent as a cemetery and there was neither sound nor movement except among theEskimos and huskies on the shore. I scrambled down the bank and began to makefriends with the Eskimo women. Our only currency for exchange of thoughts or