1. Chapter 6 Sadness among The People

2. The chief stood looking around with deep sadness. His people were in a desperate state. They were starving and freezing. Many of them were frostbitten. They were still searching for game and had returned to the place where they abandoned the two old women the winter before.

3. Sadly, the chief remembered how he had wanted to turn back and save the old women. But many would have thought of him as weak and not dependable.

4. After turning their backs on the old women, The People traveled many hard miles before coming on a small herd of caribou. The meat lasted them until spring when they began to fish and catch other animals. In the fall, the band started to run out of food.

5. Now that they had returned to where they had left the old women, the people were surprised. There was not a single sign that anyone had been left. Not one bone gave evidence that the old ones had died. Not even the tent that had sheltered the women.

6. Among the people was a guide named Daagoo. He said to the chief, “Maybe they moved on.” The chief sent Daagoo and three men to see if they could find the two old women. The chief did not think the two old women could have survived but he still hoped. Maybe they moved on.

7. The men left in search of the two women. After the second day one of the men said “Let’s turn back now.” But Daagoo pointed to the trees where they saw the trees had empty patches where the women had been. He sent the men to search the area but the other men did not believe the women were still alive.

8. Daagoo kept searching. He wondered how it would have been possible for the two old women to survive when The People barely made it through the winter. All they did was complain. As Daagoo thought about this he become more and more doubtful.

9. Then he smelled something in the air. It was the smell of a fire. He grinned as he realized the two women had survived. He went back for the other men. When they returned, the other men could small the smoke too. Daagoo called the women’s names but heard nothing in return.