noted the jealousy in the shaman's eye, so when I had done, I placed him
side by side with Tummasook and the woman Ipsukuk. Then I gave them to
drink, and their eyes watered and their stomachs warmed, till from being
afraid they reached greedily for more; and when I had them well started,
I turned to the others. Tummasook made a brag about how he had once
killed a polar bear, and in the vigour of his pantomime nearly slew his
mother's brother. But nobody heeded. The woman Ipsukuk fell to weeping
for a son lost long years agone in the ice, and the shaman made
incantation and prophecy. So it went, and before morning they were all
on the floor, sleeping soundly with the gods.

"The story tells itself, does it not? The news of the magic potion
spread. It was too marvellous for utterance. Tongues could tell but a
tithe of the miracles it performed. It eased pain, gave surcease to
sorrow, brought back old memories, dead faces, and forgotten dreams. It
was a fire that ate through all the blood, and, burning, burned not. It
stoutened the heart, stiffened the back, and made men more than men. It
revealed the future, and gave visions and prophecy. It brimmed with
wisdom and unfolded secrets. There was no end of the things it could do,
and soon there was a clamouring on all hands to sleep with the gods. They
brought their warmest furs, their strongest dogs, their best meats; but I
sold the _hooch_ with discretion, and only those were favoured that
brought flour and molasses and sugar. And such stores poured in that I
set Moosu to build a cache to hold them, for there was soon no space in
the igloo. Ere three days had passed Tummasook had gone bankrupt. The
shaman, who was never more than half drunk after the first night, watched
me closely and hung on for the better part of the week. But before ten
days were gone, even the woman Ipsukuk exhausted her provisions, and went
home weak and tottery.