Anvik had not noticed the odor when he came in, being then too excited over his prize to have room in his head for any other idea.

But now he felt a great sadness of soul.

Tanana and their father were both beginning to learn to drink.
The sailors who came to the shore had liquor with them sometimes, and traded it to the natives.
The teacher at school had told the boys never to touch the sailors' liquor.

The teacher said it would steal the boys' souls.

Anvik did not understand that very well, but he knew liquor made Tanana and their father cross and lazy, and the laziness kept them poor, and the mother was sad.
Anvik lay long awake that night, on the raised platform of snow in the igloo, and thought.
"My teacher said he heard that at one Eskimo village a canoe came with whisky and the Eskimos pounded on a drum all night, and shouted," thought the lad.