第4章
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  Alightbreathofairblewfromthesouth,nippingtheexposedportionsoftheirbodiesanddrivingthefrost,inneedlesoffire,throughfurandfleshtothebones。So,whenthefirehadgrownlustyandthawedadampcircleinthesnowaboutit,SitkaCharleyforcedhisreluctantcomradestolendahandinpitchingafly。Itwasaprimitiveaffair,merelyablanketstretchedparallelwiththefireandtowindwardofit,atanangleofperhapsforty—fivedegrees。

  Thisshutoutthechillwindandthrewtheheatbackwardanddownuponthosewhoweretohuddleinitsshelter。Thenalayerofgreenspruceboughswerespread,thattheirbodiesmightnotcomeincontactwiththesnow。Whenthistaskwascompleted,Kah—ChucteandGowheeproceededtotakecareoftheirfeet。Theiriceboundmocassinsweresadlywornbymuchtravel,andthesharpiceoftheriverjamshadcutthemtorags。TheirSiwashsocksweresimilarlyconditioned,andwhenthesehadbeenthawedandremoved,thedead—whitetipsofthetoes,inthevariousstagesofmortification,toldtheirsimpletaleofthetrail。

  Leavingthetwotothedryingoftheirfootgear,SitkaCharleyturnedbackoverthecoursehehadcome。He,too,hadamightylongingtositbythefireandtendhiscomplainingflesh,butthehonorandthelawforbade。Hetoiledpainfullyoverthefrozenfield,eachstepaprotest,everymuscleinrevolt。Severaltimes,wheretheopenwaterbetweenthejamshadrecentlycrusted,hewasforcedtomiserablyacceleratehismovementsasthefragilefootingswayedandthreatenedbeneathhim。Insuchplacesdeathwasquickandeasy;butitwasnothisdesiretoendurenomore。

  HisdeepeninganxietyvanishedastwoIndiansdraggedintoviewroundabendintheriver。Theystaggeredandpantedlikemenunderheavyburdens;yetthepacksontheirbackswereamatterofbutafewpounds。Hequestionedthemeagerly,andtheirrepliesseemedtorelievehim。Hehurriedon。Nextcametwowhitemen,supportingbetweenthemawoman。Theyalsobehavedasthoughdrunken,andtheirlimbsshookwithweakness。Butthewomanleanedlightlyuponthem,choosingtocarryherselfforwardwithherownstrength。AtthesightofheraflashofjoycastitsfleetinglightacrossSitkaCharley’sface。HecherishedaverygreatregardforMrs。

  Eppingwell。Hehadseenmanywhitewomen,butthiswasthefirsttotravelthetrailwithhim。WhenCaptainEppingwellproposedthehazardousundertakingandmadehimanofferforhisservices,hehadshakenhisheadgravely;foritwasanunknownjourneythroughthedismalvastnessesoftheNorthland,andheknewittobeofthekindthattrytotheuttermostthesoulsofmen。Butwhenhelearnedthatthecaptain’swifewastoaccompanythem,hehadrefusedflatlytohaveanythingfurthertodowithit。Haditbeenawomanofhisownracehewouldhaveharborednoobjections;butthesewomenoftheSouthland—no,no,theyweretoosoft,tootender,forsuchenterprises。

  SitkaCharleydidnotknowthiskindofwoman。Fiveminutesbefore,hedidnotevendreamoftakingchargeoftheexpedition;

  butwhenshecametohimwithherwonderfulsmileandherstraightcleanEnglish,andtalkedtothepoint,withoutpleadingorpersuading,hehadincontinentlyyielded。Hadtherebeenasoftnessandappealtomercyintheeyes,atrembletothevoice,atakingadvantageofsex,hewouldhavestiffenedtosteel;insteadherclear—searchingeyesandclear—ringingvoice,herutterfranknessandtacitassumptionofequality,hadrobbedhimofhisreason。Hefelt,then,thatthiswasanewbreedofwoman;anderetheyhadbeentrailmatesformanydaysheknewwhythesonsofsuchwomenmasteredthelandandthesea,andwhythesonsofhisownwomankindcouldnotprevailagainstthem。Tenderandsoft!Dayafterdayhewatchedher,muscle—weary,exhausted,indomitable,andthewordsbeatinuponhiminaperennialrefrain。Tenderandsoft!Heknewherfeethadbeenborntoeasypathsandsunnylands,strangerstothemoccasinedpainoftheNorth,unkissedbythechilllipsofthefrost,andhewatchedandmarveledatthemtwinklingeverthroughthewearyday。

  Shehadalwaysasmileandawordofcheer,fromwhichnoteventhemeanestpackerwasexcluded。Asthewaygrewdarkersheseemedtostiffenandgathergreaterstrength,andwhenKah—ChucteandGowhee,whohadbraggedthattheykneweverylandmarkofthewayasachilddidtheskinbailsofthetepee,acknowledgedthattheyknewnotwheretheywere,itwasshewhoraisedaforgivingvoiceamidthecursesofthemen。Shehadsungtothemthatnighttilltheyfeltthewearinessfallfromthemandwerereadytofacethefuturewithfreshhope。Andwhenthefoodfailedandeachscantstintwasmeasuredjealously,sheitwaswhorebelledagainstthemachinationsofherhusbandandSitkaCharley,anddemandedandreceivedashareneithergreaternorlessthanthatoftheothers。

  SitkaCharleywasproudtoknowthiswoman。Anewrichness,agreaterbreadth,hadcomeintohislifewithherpresence。Hithertohehadbeenhisownmentor,hadturnedtorightorleftatnoman’sbeck;

  hehadmouldedhimselfaccordingtohisowndictates,nourishedhismanhoodregardlessofallsavehisownopinion。Forthefirsttimehehadfeltacallfromwithoutforthebestthatwasinhim。justaglanceofappreciationfromtheclear—searchingeyes,awordofthanksfromtheclear—ringingvoice,justaslightwreathingofthelipsinthewonderfulsmile,andhewalkedwiththegodsforhourstocome。Itwasanewstimulanttohismanhood;forthefirsttimehethrilledwithaconsciousprideinhiswisdomofthetrail;andbetweenthetwaintheyeverliftedthesinkingheartsoftheircomrades。

  Thefacesofthetwomenandthewomanbrightenedastheysawhim,forafterallhewasthestafftheyleanedupon。ButSitkaCharley,rigidaswashiswont,concealingpainandpleasureimpartiallybeneathanironexterior,askedthemthewelfareoftherest,toldthedistancetothefire,andcontinuedontheback—trip。NexthemetasingleIndian,unburdened,limping,lipscompressed,andeyessetwiththepainofafootinwhichthequickfoughtalosingbattlewiththedead。Allpossiblecarehadbeentakenofhim,butinthelastextremitytheweakandunfortunatemustperish,andSitkaCharleydeemedhisdaystobefew。Themancouldnotkeepupforlong,sohegavehimroughcheeringwords。AfterthatcametwomoreIndians,towhomhehadallottedthetaskofhelpingalongJoe,thethirdwhitemanoftheparty。Theyhaddesertedhim。SitkaCharleysawataglancethelurkingspringintheirbodies,andknewtheyhadatlastcastoffhismastery。Sohewasnottakenunawareswhenheorderedthembackinquestoftheirabandonedcharge,andsawthegleamofthehuntingknivesthattheydrewfromthesheaths。Apitifulspectacle,threeweakmenliftingtheirpunystrengthinthefaceofthemightyvastness;butthetworecoiledunderthefiercerifleblowsoftheoneandreturnedlikebeatendogstotheleash。Twohourslater,withJoereelingbetweenthemandSitkaCharleybringinguptherear,theycametothefire,wheretheremainderoftheexpeditioncrouchedintheshelterofthefly。

  ’Afewwords,mycomrades,beforewesleep,’SitkaCharleysaidaftertheyhaddevouredtheirslimrationsofunleavenedbread。HewasspeakingtotheIndiansintheirowntongue,havingalreadygiventheimporttothewhites。’Afewwords,mycomrades,foryourowngood,thatyemayyetperchancelive。Ishallgiveyouthelaw;onhisownheadbythedeathofhimthatbreaksit。WehavepassedtheHillsofSilence,andwenowtraveltheheadreachesoftheStuart。Itmaybeonesleep,itmaybeseveral,itmaybemanysleeps,butintimeweshallcomeamongthemenoftheYukon,whohavemuchgrub。

  Itwerewellthatwelooktothelaw。TodayKah—ChucteandGowhee,whomIcommandedtobreaktrail,forgottheyweremen,andlikefrightenedchildrenranaway。True,theyforgot;soletusforget。Buthereafter,letthemremember。Ifitshouldhappentheydonot……’Hetouchedhisriflecarelessly,grimly。’TomorrowtheyshallcarrytheflourandseethatthewhitemanJoeliesnotdownbythetrail。Thecupsofflourarecounted;shouldsomuchasanouncebewantingatnightfall……Doyeunderstand?Todaytherewereothersthatforgot。

  MooseHeadandThreeSalmonleftthewhitemanJoetolieinthesnow。

  Letthemforgetnomore。Withthelightofdayshalltheygoforthandbreaktrail。Yehaveheardthelaw。Lookwell,lestyebreakit。’

  SitkaCharleyfounditbeyondhimtokeepthelinecloseup。FromMooseHeadandThreeSalmon,whobroketrailinadvance,toKah—Chucte,Gowhee,andJoe,itstraggledoutoveramile。Eachstaggered,fellorrestedashesawfit。Thelineofmarchwasaprogressionthroughachainofirregularhalts。Eachdrewuponthelastremnantofhisstrengthandstumbledonwardtillitwasexpended,butinsomemiraculouswaytherewasalwaysanotherlastremnant。Eachtimeamanfellitwaswiththefirmbeliefthathewouldrisenomore;yethedidrise,andagainandagain。Thefleshyielded,thewillconquered;buteachtriumphwasatragedy。TheIndianwiththefrozenfoot,nolongererect,crawledforwardonhandandknee。Herarelyrested,forheknewthepenaltyexactedbythefrost。EvenMrs。

  Eppingwell’slipswereatlastsetinastonysmile,andhereyes,seeing,sawnot。Oftenshestopped,pressingamittenedhandtoherheart,gaspinganddizzy。

  Joe,thewhiteman,hadpassedbeyondthestageofsuffering。Henolongerbeggedtobeletalone,prayedtodie;butwassoothedandcontentundertheanodyneofdelirium。Kah—ChucteandGowheedraggedhimonroughly,ventinguponhimmanyasavageglanceorblow。Tothemitwastheacmeofinjustice。Theirheartswerebitterwithhate,heavywithfear。Whyshouldtheycumbertheirstrengthwithhisweakness?Todosomeantdeath;nottodoso—andtheyrememberedthelawofSitkaCharley,andtherifle。

  Joefellwithgreaterfrequencyasthedaylightwaned,andsohardwashetoraisethattheydroppedfartherandfartherbehind。

  Sometimesallthreepitchedintothesnow,soweakhadtheIndiansbecome。Yetontheirbackswaslife,andstrength,andwarmth。

  Withinthefloursackswereallthepotentialitiesofexistence。

  Theycouldnotbutthinkofthis,anditwasnotstrange,thatwhichcametopass。Theyhadfallenbythesideofagreattimberjamwhereathousandcordsoffirewoodwaitedthematch。Nearbywasanairholethroughtheice。Kah—Chuctelookedonthewoodandthewater,asdidGowhee;thentheylookedateachother。Neverawordwasspoken。Gowheestruckafire;Kah—Chuctefilledatincupwithwaterandheatedit;Joebabbledofthingsinanotherland,inatonguetheydidnotunderstand。Theymixedflourwiththewarmwatertillitwasathinpaste,andofthistheydrankmanycups。TheydidnotofferanytoJoe;buthedidnotmind。Hedidnotmindanything,notevenhismoccasins,whichscorchedandsmokedamongthecoals。

  Acrystalmistofsnowfellaboutthem,softly,caressingly,wrappingtheminclingingrobesofwhite。Andtheirfeetwouldhaveyettrodmanytrailshadnotdestinybrushedthecloudsasideandclearedtheair。Nay,tenminutes’delaywouldhavebeensalvation。

  SitkaCharley,lookingback,sawthepillaredsmokeoftheirfire,andguessed。Andhelookedaheadatthosewhowerefaithful,andatMrs。

  Eppingwell。

  ’So,mygoodcomrades,yehaveagainforgottenthatyouweremen?

  Good!Verygood。Therewillbefewerbelliestofeed。’

  SitkaCharleyretiedtheflourashespoke,strappingthepacktotheoneonhisownback。HekickedJoetillthepainbrokethroughthepoordevil’sblissandbroughthimdodderingtohisfeet。Thenheshovedhimoutuponthetrailandstartedhimonhisway。ThetwoIndiansattemptedtoslipoff。

  ’Hold,Gowhee!Andthou,too,Kah—Chucte!Haththeflourgivensuchstrengthtothylegsthattheymayoutruntheswift—wingedlead?Thinknottocheatthelaw。Bemenforthelasttime,andbecontentthatyediefull—stomached。Come,stepup,backtothetimber,shouldertoshoulder。Come!’

  Thetwomenobeyed,quietly,withoutfear;foritisthefuturewhichpressedupontheman,notthepresent。

  ’Thou,Gowhee,hastawifeandchildrenandadeerskinlodgeintheChipewyan。Whatisthywillinthematter?’

  ’Givethouherofthegoodswhichareminebythewordofthecaptain—theblankets,thebeads,thetobacco,theboxwhichmakesstrangesoundsafterthemannerofthewhitemen。SaythatIdiddieonthetrail,butsaynothow。’

  ’Andthou,Kah—Chucte,whohastnorwifenorchild?’

  ’Mineisasister,thewifeofthefactoratKoshim。Hebeatsher,andsheisnothappy。Givethouherthegoodswhichareminebythecontract,andtellheritwerewellshegobacktoherownpeople。

  Shouldstthoumeettheman,andbesominded,itwereagooddeedthatheshoulddie。Hebeatsher,andsheisafraid。’

  ’Areyecontenttodiebythelaw?’

  ’Weare。’

  ’Thengood—bye,mygoodcomrades。Mayyesitbythewell—filledpot,inwarmlodges,erethedayisdone。’

  Ashespokeheraisedhisrifle,andmanyechoesbrokethesilence。Hardlyhadtheydiedawaywhenotherriflesspokeinthedistance。SitkaCharleystarted。Therehadbeenmorethanoneshot,yettherewasbutoneotherrifleintheparty。Hegaveafleetingglanceatthemenwholaysoquietly,smiledviciouslyatthewisdomofthetrail,andhurriedontomeetthemenoftheYukon。

  THEWIFEOFAKING。

  I

  ONCE,WHENTHENORTHLANDwasveryyoung,thesocialandcivicvirtueswereremarkablyalikefortheirpaucityandtheirsimplicity。Whentheburdenofdomesticdutiesgrewgrievous,andthefiresidemoodexpandedtoaconstantprotestagainstitsbleakloneliness,theadventurersfromtheSouthland,inlieuofbetter,paidthestipulatedpricesandtookuntothemselvesnativewives。ItwasaforetasteofParadisetothewomen,foritmustbeconfessedthatthewhiteroversgavefarbettercareandtreatmentofthemthandidtheirIndiancopartners。Ofcourse,thewhitementhemselvesweresatisfiedwithsuchdeals,aswerealsotheIndianmenforthatmatter。Havingsoldtheirdaughtersandsistersforcottonblanketsandobsoleteriflesandtradedtheirwarmfursforflimsycalicoandbadwhisky,thesonsofthesoilpromptlyandcheerfullysuccumbedtoquickconsumptionandotherswiftdiseasescorrelatedwiththeblessingsofasuperiorcivilization。

  ItwasinthesedaysofArcadiansimplicitythatCalGalbraithjourneyedthroughthelandandfellsickontheLowerRiver。ItwasarefreshingadventinthelivesofthegoodSistersoftheHolyCross,whogavehimshelterandmedicine;thoughtheylittledreamedofthehotelixirinfusedintohisveinsbythetouchoftheirsofthandsandtheirgentleministrations。CalGalbraith,becametroubledwithstrangethoughtswhichclamoredforattentiontillhelaideyesontheMissiongirl,Madeline。Yethegavenosign,bidinghistimepatiently。Hestrengthenedwiththecomingspring,andwhenthesunrodetheheavensinagoldencircle,andthejoyandthroboflifewasinalltheland,hegatheredhisstillweakbodytogetheranddeparted。

  Now,Madeline,theMissiongirl,wasanorphan。Herwhitefatherhadfailedtogiveabald—facedgrizzlythetrailoneday,andhaddiedquickly。ThenherIndianmother,havingnomantofillthewintercache,hadtriedthehazardousexperimentofwaitingtillthesalmon—runonfiftypoundsofflourandhalfasmanyofbacon。Afterthat,thebaby,Chook—ra,wenttolivewiththegoodSisters,andtobethenceforthknownbyanothername。

  ButMadelinestillhadkinsfolk,thenearestbeingadissoluteunclewhooutragedhisvitalswithinordinatequantitiesofthewhiteman’swhisky。Hestrovedailytowalkwiththegods,andincidentally,hisfeetsoughtshortertrailstothegrave。Whensoberhesufferedexquisitetorture。Hehadnoconscience。TothisancientvagabondCalGalbraithdulypresentedhimself,andtheyconsumedmanywordsandmuchtobaccointheconversationthatfollowed。Promiseswerealsomade;andintheendtheoldheathentookafewpoundsofdriedsalmonandhisbirch—barkcanoe,andpaddledawaytotheMissionoftheHolyCross。

  Itisnotgiventheworldtoknowwhatpromiseshemadeandwhatlieshetold—theSistersnevergossip;butwhenhereturned,uponhisswarthychesttherewasabrasscrucifix,andinhiscanoehisnieceMadeline。Thatnighttherewasagrandweddingandapotlach;sothatfortwodaystofollowtherewasnofishingdonebythevillage。ButinthemorningMadelineshookthedustoftheLowerRiverfromhermoccasins,andwithherhusband,inapoling—boat,wenttoliveontheUpperRiverinaplaceknownastheLowerCountry。Andintheyearswhichfollowedshewasagoodwife,sharingherhusband’shardshipsandcookinghisfood。Andshekepthiminstraighttrails,tillhelearnedtosavehisdustandtoworkmightily。Intheend,hestruckitrichandbuiltacabininCircleCity;andhishappinesswassuchthatmenwhocametovisithiminhishome—circlebecamerestlessatthesightofitandenviedhimgreatly。

  ButtheNorthlandbegantomatureandsocialamenitiestomaketheirappearance。Hitherto,theSouthlandhadsentforthitssons;butitnowbelchedforthanewexodus—thistimeofitsdaughters。Sistersandwivestheywerenot;buttheydidnotfailtoputnewideasintheheadsofthemen,andtoelevatethetoneofthingsinwayspeculiarlytheirown。Nomoredidthesquawsgatheratthedances,goroaringdownthecenterinthegood,oldVirginiareels,ormakemerrywithjolly’DanTucker。’Theyfellbackontheirnaturalstoicismanduncomplaininglywatchedtheruleoftheirwhitesistersfromtheircabins。

  ThenanotherexoduscameoverthemountainsfromtheprolificSouthland。Thistimeitwasofwomenthatbecamemightyintheland。

  Theirwordwaslaw;theirlawwassteel。TheyfrownedupontheIndianwives,whiletheotherwomenbecamemildandwalkedhumbly。

  Therewerecowardswhobecameashamedoftheirancientcovenantswiththedaughtersofthesoil,wholookedwithanewdistasteupontheirdark—skinnedchildren;buttherewerealsoothers—men—whoremainedtrueandproudoftheiraboriginalvows。Whenitbecamethefashiontodivorcethenativewives。CalGalbraithretainedhismanhood,andinsodoingfelttheheavyhandofthewomenwhohadcomelast,knewleast,butwhoruledtheland。

  Oneday,theUpperCountry,whichliesfaraboveCircleCity,waspronouncedrich。Dog—teamscarriedthenewstoSaltWater;goldenargosiesfreightedthelureacrosstheNorthPacific;wiresandcablessangwiththetidings;andtheworldheardforthefirsttimeoftheKlondikeRiverandtheYukonCountry。

  CalGalbraithhadlivedtheyearsquietly。HehadbeenagoodhusbandtoMadeline,andshehadblessedhim。Butsomehowdiscontentfelluponhim;hefeltvagueyearningsforhisownkind,forthelifehehadbeenshutoutfrom—ageneralsortofdesire,whichmensometimesfeel,tobreakoutandtastetheprimeofliving。Besides,theredrifteddowntheriverwildrumorsofthewonderfulElDorado,glowingdescriptionsofthecityoflogsandtents,andludicrousaccountsoftheche—cha—quaswhohadrushedinandwerestampedingthewholecountry。CircleCitywasdead。Theworldhadmovedonupriverandbecomeanewandmostmarvelousworld。

  CalGalbraithgrewrestlessontheedgeofthings,andwishedtoseewithhisowneyes。So,afterthewash—up,heweighedinacoupleofhundredpoundsofdustontheCompany’sbigscales,andtookadraftforthesameonDawson。ThenheputTomDixoninchargeofhismines,kissedMadelinegood—by,promisedtobebackbeforethefirstmush—iceran,andtookpassageonanup—riversteamer。

  Madelinewaited,waitedthroughallthethreemonthsofdaylight。

  Shefedthedogs,gavemuchofhertimetoYoungCal,watchedtheshortsummerfadeawayandthesunbeginitslongjourneytothesouth。AndsheprayedmuchinthemanneroftheSistersoftheHolyCross。Thefallcame,andwithittherewasmush—iceontheYukon,andCircleCitykingsreturningtothewinter’sworkattheirmines,butnoCalGalbraith。TomDixonreceivedaletter,however,forhismensleddedupherwinter’ssupplyofdrypine。TheCompanyreceivedaletterforitsdog—teamsfilledhercachewiththeirbestprovisions,andshewastoldthathercreditwaslimitless。

  Throughalltheagesmanhasbeenheldthechiefinstigatorofthewoesofwoman;butinthiscasethemenheldtheirtonguesandsworeharshlyatoneoftheirnumberwhowasaway,whilethewomenfailedutterlytoemulatethem。So,withoutneedlessdelay,MadelineheardstrangetalesofCalGalbraith’sdoings;also,ofacertainGreekdancerwhoplayedwithmenaschildrendidwithbubbles。NowMadelinewasanIndianwoman,andfurther,shehadnowomanfriendtowhomtogoforwisecounsel。Sheprayedandplannedbyturns,andthatnight,beingquickofresolveandaction,sheharnessedthedogs,andwithYoungCalsecurelylashedtothesled,stoleaway。

  ThoughtheYukonstillranfree,theeddy—icewasgrowing,andeachdaysawtheriverdwindlingtoaslushythread。Savehimwhohasdonethelike,nomanmayknowwhatsheenduredintravelingahundredmilesontherim—ice;normaytheyunderstandthetoilandhardshipofbreakingthetwohundredmilesofpackedicewhichremainedaftertheriverfrozeforgood。ButMadelinewasanIndianwoman,soshedidthesethings,andonenighttherecameaknockatMalemuteKid’sdoor。Thereathefedateamofstarvingdogs,putahealthyyoungstertobed,andturnedhisattentiontoanexhaustedwoman。Heremovedherice—boundmoccasinswhilehelistenedtohertale,andstuckthepointofhisknifeintoherfeetthathemightseehowfartheywerefrozen。

  Despitehistremendousvirility,MalemuteKidwaspossessedofasofter,womanlyelement,whichcouldwintheconfidenceofasnarlingwolf—dogordrawconfessionsfromthemostwintryheart。

  Nordidheseekthem。Heartsopenedtohimasspontaneouslyasflowerstothesun。Eventhepriest,FatherRoubeau,hadbeenknowntoconfesstohim,whilethemenandwomenoftheNorthlandwereeverknockingathisdoor—adoorfromwhichthelatch—stringhungalwaysout。ToMadeline,hecoulddonowrong,makenomistake。Shehadknownhimfromthetimeshefirstcastherlotamongthepeopleofherfather’srace;andtoherhalf—barbaricminditseemedthatinhimwascenteredthewisdomoftheages,thatbetweenhisvisionandthefuturetherecouldbenointerveningveil。

  Therewerefalseidealsintheland。ThesocialstricturesofDawsonwerenotsynonymouswiththoseofthepreviousera,andtheswiftmaturityoftheNorthlandinvolvedmuchwrong。MalemuteKidwasawareofthis,andhehadCalGalbraith’smeasureaccurately。Heknewahastywordwasthefatherofmuchevil;besides,hewasmindedtoteachagreatlessonandbringshameupontheman。SoStanleyPrince,theyoungminingexpert,wascalledintotheconferencethefollowingnightaswasalsoLuckyJackHarringtonandhisviolin。Thatsamenight,Bettles,whoowedagreatdebttoMalemuteKid,harnessedupCalGalbraith’sdogs,lashedCalGalbraith,Junior,tothesled,andslippedawayinthedarkforStuartRiver。

  II

  ’So;one—two—three,one—two—three。Nowreverse!No,no!Startupagain,Jack。See—thisway。’Princeexecutedthemovementasoneshouldwhohasledthecotillion。

  ’Now;one—two—three,one—two—three。Reverse!Ah!that’sbetter。Tryitagain。Isay,youknow,youmustn’tlookatyourfeet。One—two—three,one—two—three。Shortersteps!Youarenothangingtothegee—polejustnow。Tryitover。There!that’stheway。One—two—three,one—two—three。’

  RoundandroundwentPrinceandMadelineinaninterminablewaltz。

  Thetableandstoolshadbeenshovedoveragainstthewalltoincreasetheroom。MalemuteKidsatonthebunk,chintoknees,greatlyinterested。JackHarringtonsatbesidehim,scrapingawayonhisviolinandfollowingthedancers。

  Itwasauniquesituation,theundertakingofthesethreemenwiththewoman。Themostpatheticpart,perhaps,wasthebusinesslikewayinwhichtheywentaboutit。Noathletewasevertrainedmorerigidlyforacomingcontest,norwolf—dogfortheharness,thanwasshe。Buttheyhadgoodmaterial,forMadeline,unlikemostwomenofherrace,inherchildhoodhadescapedthecarryingofheavyburdensandthetoilofthetrail。Besides,shewasaclean—limbed,willowycreature,possessedofmuchgracewhichhadnothithertobeenrealized。Itwasthisgracewhichthemenstrovetobringoutandknockintoshape。

  ’Troublewithhershelearnedtodanceallwrong,’Princeremarkedtothebunkafterhavingdepositedhisbreathlesspupilonthetable。’She’squickatpickingup;yetIcoulddobetterhadsheneverdancedastep。Butsay,Kid,Ican’tunderstandthis。’Princeimitatedapeculiarmovementoftheshouldersandhead—aweaknessMadelinesufferedfrominwalking。

  ’LuckyforhershewasraisedintheMission,’MalemuteKidanswered。’Packing,youknow,—thehead—strap。OtherIndianwomenhaveitbad,butshedidn’tdoanypackingtillaftershemarried,andthenonlyatfirst。Sawhardlineswiththathusbandofhers。TheywentthroughtheForty—Milefaminetogether。’

  ’Butcanwebreakit?’

  ’Don’tknow。Perhapslongwalkswithhertrainerswillmaketheriffle。Anyway,they’lltakeitoutsome,won’tthey,Madeline?’

  Thegirlnoddedassent。IfMalemuteKid,whoknewallthings,saidso,whyitwasso。Thatwasalltherewasaboutit。

  Shehadcomeovertothem,anxioustobeginagain。Harringtonsurveyedherinquestofherpointsmuchinthesamemannermenusuallydohorses。Itcertainlywasnotdisappointing,forheaskedwithsuddeninterest,’Whatdidthatbeggarlyuncleofyoursgetanyway?’

  ’Onerifle,oneblanket,twentybottlesofhooch。Riflebroke。’

  Shesaidthislastscornfully,asthoughdisgustedathowlowhermaiden—valuehadbeenrated。

  ShespokefairEnglish,withmanypeculiaritiesofherhusband’sspeech,buttherewasstillperceptibletheIndianaccent,thetraditionalgropingafterstrangegutturals。Eventhisherinstructorshadtakeninhand,andwithnosmallsuccess,too。

  Atthenextintermission,Princediscoveredanewpredicament。

  ’Isay,Kid,’hesaid,’we’rewrong,allwrong。Shecan’tlearninmoccasins。Putherfeetintoslippers,andthenontothatwaxedfloor—

  phew!’

  Madelineraisedafootandregardedhershapelesshouse—moccasinsdubiously。Inpreviouswinters,bothatCircleCityandForty—Mile,shehaddancedmanyanightawaywithsimilarfootgear,andtherehadbeennothingthematter。Butnow—well,iftherewasanythingwrongitwasforMalemuteKidtoknow,nother。

  ButMalemuteKiddidknow,andhehadagoodeyeformeasures;soheputonhiscapandmittensandwentdownthehilltopayMrs。

  Eppingwellacall。Herhusband,CloveEppingwell,wasprominentinthecommunityasoneofthegreatGovernmentofficials。TheKidhadnotedherslenderlittlefootonenight,attheGovernor’sBall。Andashealsoknewhertobeassensibleasshewaspretty,itwasnotasktoaskofheracertainsmallfavor。

  Onhisreturn,Madelinewithdrewforamomenttotheinnerroom。

  WhenshereappearedPrincewasstartled。

  ’ByJove!’hegasped。’Who’da’thoughtit!Thelittlewitch!Whymysister—’

  ’IsanEnglishgirl,’interruptedMalemuteKid,’withanEnglishfoot。Thisgirlcomesofasmall—footedrace。Moccasinsjustbroadenedherfeethealthily,whileshedidnotmisshapethembyrunningwiththedogsinherchildhood。’

  ButthisexplanationfailedutterlytoallayPrince’sadmiration。

  Harrington’scommercialinstinctwastouched,andashelookedupontheexquisitelyturnedfootandankle,thereranthroughhismindthesordidlist—’Onerifle,oneblanket,twentybottlesofhooch。’

  Madelinewasthewifeofaking,akingwhoseyellowtreasurecouldbuyoutrightascoreoffashion’spuppets;yetinallherlifeherfeethadknownnogearsavered—tannedmoosehide。Atfirstshehadlookedinaweatthetinywhite—satinslippers;butshehadquicklyunderstoodtheadmirationwhichshone,manlike,intheeyesofthemen。Herfaceflushedwithpride。Forthemomentshewasdrunkenwithherwoman’sloveliness;thenshemurmured,withincreasedscorn,’Andonerifle,broke!’

  Sothetrainingwenton。EverydayMalemuteKidledthegirloutonlongwalksdevotedtothecorrectionofhercarriageandtheshorteningofherstride。Therewaslittlelikelihoodofheridentitybeingdiscovered,forCalGalbraithandtherestoftheOld—Timerswerelikelostchildrenamongthemanystrangerswhohadrushedintotheland。Besides,thefrostoftheNorthhasabittertongue,andthetenderwomenoftheSouth,toshieldtheircheeksfromitsbitingcaresses,werepronetotheuseofcanvasmasks。Withfacesobscuredandbodieslostinsquirrel—skinparkas,amotheranddaughter,meetingontrail,wouldpassasstrangers。

  Thecoachingprogressedrapidly。Atfirstithadbeenslow,butlaterasuddenaccelerationhadmanifesteditself。ThisbeganfromthemomentMadelinetriedonthewhite—satinslippers,andinsodoingfoundherself。Theprideofherrenegadefather,apartfromanynaturalself—esteemshemightpossess,atthatinstantreceiveditsbirth。Hitherto,shehaddeemedherselfawomanofanalienbreed,ofinferiorstock,purchasedbyherlord’sfavor。Herhusbandhadseemedtoheragod,whohadliftedher,throughnoessentialvirtuesonherpart,tohisowngodlikelevel。Butshehadneverforgotten,evenwhenYoungCalwasborn,thatshewasnotofhispeople。Ashehadbeenagod,sohadhiswomenkindbeengoddesses。Shemighthavecontrastedherselfwiththem,butshehadnevercompared。

  Itmighthavebeenthatfamiliaritybredcontempt;however,bethatasitmay,shehadultimatelycometounderstandtheserovingwhitemen,andtoweighthem。True,hermindwasdarktodeliberateanalysis,butsheyetpossessedherwoman’sclarityofvisioninsuchmatters。Onthenightoftheslippersshehadmeasuredthebold,openadmirationofherthreeman—friends;andforthefirsttimecomparisonhadsuggesteditself。Itwasonlyafootandanankle,but—

  butcomparisoncouldnot,inthenatureofthings,ceaseatthatpoint。Shejudgedherselfbytheirstandardstillthedivinityofherwhitesisterswasshattered。Afterall,theywereonlywomen,andwhyshouldshenotexaltherselftotheirmidst?Indoingthesethingsshelearnedwhereshelackedandwiththeknowledgeofherweaknesscameherstrength。Andsomightilydidshestrivethatherthreetrainersoftenmarveledlateintothenightovertheeternalmysteryofwoman。

  InthiswayThanksgivingNightdrewnear。AtirregularintervalsBettlessentworddownfromStuartRiverregardingthewelfareofYoungCal。Thetimeoftheirreturnwasapproaching。Morethanonceacasualcaller,hearingdance—musicandtherhythmicpulseoffeet,entered,onlytofindHarringtonscrapingawayandtheothertwobeatingtimeorarguingnoisilyoveramootedstep。Madelinewasneverinevidence,havingprecipitatelyfledtotheinnerroom。

  OnoneofthesenightsCalGalbraithdroppedin。EncouragingnewshadjustcomedownfromStuartRiver,andMadelinehadsurpassedherself—notinwalkalone,andcarriageandgrace,butinwomanlyroguishness。Theyhadindulgedinsharpreparteeandshehaddefendedherselfbrilliantly;andthen,yieldingtotheintoxicationofthemoment,andofherownpower,shehadbullied,andmastered,andwheedled,andpatronizedthemwithmostastonishingsuccess。Andinstinctively,involuntarily,theyhadbowed,nottoherbeauty,herwisdom,herwit,buttothatindefinablesomethinginwomantowhichmanyieldsyetcannotname。TheroomwasdizzywithsheerdelightassheandPrincewhirledthroughthelastdanceoftheevening。

  Harringtonwasthrowingininconceivableflourishes,whileMalemuteKid,utterlyabandoned,hadseizedthebroomandwasexecutingmadgyrationsonhisownaccount。

  Atthisinstantthedoorshookwithaheavyrap—rap,andtheirquickglancesnotedtheliftingofthelatch。Buttheyhadsurvivedsimilarsituationsbefore。Harringtonneverbrokeanote。Madelineshotthroughthewaitingdoortotheinnerroom。Thebroomwenthurtlingunderthebunk,andbythetimeCalGalbraithandLouisSavoygottheirheadsin,MalemuteKidandPrincewereineachother’sarms,wildlyschottischingdowntheroom。

  Asarule,Indianwomendonotmakeapracticeoffaintingonprovocation,butMadelinecameasneartoitassheeverhadinherlife。Foranhourshecrouchedonthefloor,listeningtotheheavyvoicesofthemenrumblingupanddowninmimicthunder。Likefamiliarchordsofchildhoodmelodies,everyintonation,everytrickofherhusband’svoicesweptinuponher,flutteringherheartandweakeningherkneestillshelayhalf—faintingagainstthedoor。Itwaswellshecouldneitherseenorhearwhenhetookhisdeparture。

  ’WhendoyouexpecttogobacktoCircleCity?’MalemuteKidaskedsimply。

  ’Haven’tthoughtmuchaboutit,’hereplied。’Don’tthinktillaftertheicebreaks。’

  ’AndMadeline?’

  Heflushedatthequestion,andtherewasaquickdrooptohiseyes。

  MalemuteKidcouldhavedespisedhimforthat,hadheknownmenless。Asitwas,hisgorgeroseagainstthewivesanddaughterswhohadcomeintotheland,andnotsatisfiedwithusurpingtheplaceofthenativewomen,hadputuncleanthoughtsintheheadsofthemenandmadethemashamed。

  ’Iguessshe’sallright,’theCircleCityKingansweredhastily,andinanapologeticmanner。’TomDixon’sgotchargeofmyinterests,youknow,andheseestoitthatshehaseverythingshewants。’

  MalemuteKidlaidhanduponhisarmandhushedhimsuddenly。Theyhadsteppedwithout。Overhead,theaurora,agorgeouswanton,flauntedmiraclesofcolor;beneathlaythesleepingtown。Farbelow,asolitarydoggavetongue。TheKingagainbegantospeak,buttheKidpressedhishandforsilence。Thesoundmultiplied。Dogafterdogtookupthestraintillthefull—throatedchorusswayedthenight。Tohimwhohearsforthefirsttimethisweirdsong,istoldthefirstandgreatestsecretoftheNorthland;tohimwhohashearditoften,itisthesolemnknelloflostendeavor。Itistheplaintoftorturedsouls,forinitisinvestedtheheritageoftheNorth,thesufferingofcountlessgenerations—thewarningandtherequiemtotheworld’sestrays。

  CalGalbraithshiveredslightlyasitdiedawayinhalf—caughtsobs。

  TheKidreadhisthoughtsopenly,andwanderedbackwithhimthroughallthewearydaysoffamineanddisease;andwithhimwasalsothepatientMadeline,sharinghispainsandperils,neverdoubting,nevercomplaining。Hismind’sretinavibratedtoascoreofpictures,stern,clear—cut,andthehandofthepastdrewbackwithheavyfingersonhisheart。Itwasthepsychologicalmoment。

  MalemuteKidwashalf—temptedtoplayhisreservecardandwinthegame;butthelessonwastoomildasyet,andheletitpass。Thenextinstanttheyhadgrippedhands,andtheKing’sbeadedmoccasinsweredrawingprotestsfromtheoutragedsnowashecruncheddownthehill。

  Madelineincollapsewasanotherwomantothemischievouscreatureofanhourbefore,whoselaughterhadbeensoinfectiousandwhoseheightenedcolorandflashingeyeshadmadeherteachersforthewhileforget。Weakandnerveless,shesatinthechairjustasshehadbeendroppedtherebyPrinceandHarrington。MalemuteKidfrowned。

  Thiswouldneverdo。Whenthetimeofmeetingherhusbandcametohand,shemustcarrythingsoffwithhigh—handedimperiousness。Itwasverynecessarysheshoulddoitafterthemannerofwhitewomen,elsethevictorywouldbenovictoryatall。Sohetalkedtoher,sternly,withoutmincingofwords,andinitiatedherintotheweaknessesofhisownsex,tillshecametounderstandwhatsimpletonsmenwereafterall,andwhythewordoftheirwomenwaslaw。

  AfewdaysbeforeThanksgivingNight,MalemuteKidmadeanothercallonMrs。Eppingwell。Shepromptlyoverhauledherfemininefripperies,paidaprotractedvisittothedry—goodsdepartmentoftheP。C。

  Company,andreturnedwiththeKidtomakeMadeline’sacquaintance。

  Afterthatcameaperiodsuchasthecabinhadneverseenbefore,andwhatwithcutting,andfitting,andbasting,andstitching,andnumerousotherwonderfulandunknowablethings,themaleconspiratorsweremoreoftenbanishedthepremisesthannot。AtsuchtimestheOperaHouseopeneditsdoublestorm—doorstothem。Sooftendidtheyputtheirheadstogether,andsodeeplydidtheydrinktocurioustoasts,thattheloungersscentedunknowncreeksofincalculablerichness,anditisknownthatseveralche—cha—quasandatleastoneOld—Timerkepttheirstampedingpacksstoredbehindthebar,readytohitthetrailatamoment’snotice。

  Mrs。Eppingwellwasawomanofcapacity;so,whensheturnedMadelineovertohertrainersonThanksgivingNightshewassotransformedthattheywerealmostafraidofher。PrincewrappedaHudsonBayblanketaboutherwithamockreverencemorerealthanfeigned,whileMalemuteKid,whosearmshehadtaken,founditaseveretrialtoresumehiswontedmentorship。Harrington,withthelistofpurchasesstillrunningthroughhishead,draggedalongintherear,noropenedhismouthonceallthewaydownintothetown。WhentheycametothebackdooroftheOperaHousetheytooktheblanketfromMadeline’sshouldersandspreaditonthesnow。SlippingoutofPrince’smoccasins,shesteppeduponitinnewsatinslippers。Themasqueradewasatitsheight。Shehesitated,buttheyjerkedopenthedoorandshovedherin。Thentheyranaroundtocomeinbythefrontentrance。

  III

  ’WhereisFreda?’theOld—Timersquestioned,whiletheche—cha—quaswereequallyenergeticinaskingwhoFredawas。Theballroombuzzedwithhername。Itwasoneverybody’slips。Grizzled’sour—doughboys,’day—laborersattheminesbutproudoftheirdegree,eitherpatronizedthespruce—lookingtenderfeetandliedeloquently—the’sour—doughboys’beingspeciallycreatedtotoywithtruth—orgavethemsavagelooksofindignationbecauseoftheirignorance。PerhapsfortykingsoftheUpperandLowerCountrieswereonthefloor,eachdeeminghimselfhotonthetrailandsturdilybackinghisjudgmentwiththeyellowdustoftherealm。Anassistantwassenttothemanatthescales,uponwhomhadfallentheburdenofweighingupthesacks,whileseveralofthegamblers,withtherulesofchanceattheirfinger—ends,madeupalluringbooksonthefieldandfavorites。

  WhichwasFreda?Timeandagainthe’GreekDancer’wasthoughttohavebeendiscovered,buteachdiscoverybroughtpanictothebettingringandafranticregisteringofnewwagersbythosewhowishedtohedge。MalemuteKidtookaninterestinthehunt,hisadventbeinghaileduproariouslybytherevelers,whoknewhimtoaman。

  TheKidhadagoodeyeforthetrickofastep,andearfortheliltofavoice,andhisprivatechoicewasamarvelouscreaturewhoscintillatedasthe’AuroraBorealis。’ButtheGreekdancerwastoosubtleforevenhispenetration。Themajorityofthegold—huntersseemedtohavecenteredtheirverdictonthe’RussianPrincess,’whowasthemostgracefulintheroom,andhencecouldbenootherthanFredaMoloof。

  Duringaquadrillearoarofsatisfactionwentup。Shewasdiscovered。Atpreviousballs,inthefigure,’allhandsround,’Fredahaddisplayedaninimitablestepandvariationpeculiarlyherown。

  Asthefigurewascalled,the’RussianPrincess’gavetheuniquerhythmtolimbandbody。AchorusofI—told—you—so’sshookthesquaredroof—beams,whenlo!itwasnoticedthat’AuroraBorealis’andanothermasque,the’SpiritofthePole,’wereperformingthesametrickequallywell。Andwhentwotwin’Sun—Dogs’anda’FrostQueen’

  followedsuit,asecondassistantwasdispatchedtotheaidofthemanatthescales。

  Bettlescameofftrailinthemidstoftheexcitement,descendingupontheminahurricaneoffrost。Hisrimedbrowsturnedtocataractsashewhirledabout;hismustache,stillfrozen,seemedgemmedwithdiamondsandturnedthelightinvaricoloredrays;whiletheflyingfeetslippedonthechunksoficewhichrattledfromhismoccasinsandGermansocks。ANorthlanddanceisquiteaninformalaffair,themenofthecreeksandtrailshavinglostwhateverfastidiousnesstheymighthaveatonetimepossessed;andonlyinthehighofficialcirclesareconventionsatallobserved。Here,castecarriednosignificance。Millionairesandpaupers,dog—driversandmountedpolicemenjoinedhandswith’ladiesinthecenter,’andsweptaroundthecircleperformingmostremarkablecapers。Primitiveintheirpleasure,boisterousandrough,theydisplayednorudeness,butratheracrudechivalrymoregenuinethanthemostpolishedcourtesy。

  Inhisquestforthe’GreekDancer,’CalGalbraithmanagedtogetintothesamesetwiththe’RussianPrincess,’towardwhompopularsuspicionhadturned。Butbythetimehehadguidedherthroughonedance,hewaswillingnotonlytostakehismillionsthatshewasnotFreda,butthathehadhadhisarmaboutherwaistbefore。Whenorwherehecouldnottell,butthepuzzlingsenseoffamiliaritysowroughtuponhimthatheturnedhisattentiontothediscoveryofheridentity。MalemuteKidmighthaveaidedhiminsteadofoccasionallytakingthePrincessforafewturnsandtalkingearnestlytoherinlowtones。ButitwasJackHarringtonwhopaidthe’RussianPrincess’themostassiduouscourt。OncehedrewCalGalbraithasideandhazardedwildguessesastowhoshewas,andexplainedtohimthathewasgoingintowin。ThatrankledtheCircleCityKing,formanisnotbynaturemonogamic,andheforgotbothMadelineandFredainthenewquest。

  Itwassoonnoisedaboutthatthe’RussianPrincess’wasnotFredaMoloof。Interestdeepened。Herewasafreshenigma。TheyknewFredathoughtheycouldnotfindher,butherewassomebodytheyhadfoundanddidnotknow。Eventhewomencouldnotplaceher,andtheykneweverygooddancerinthecamp。Manytookherforoneoftheofficialclique,indulginginasillyescapade。Notafewassertedshewoulddisappearbeforetheunmasking。Otherswereequallypositivethatshewasthewoman—reporteroftheKansasCityStar,cometowritethemupatninetydollarspercolumn。Andthemenatthescalesworkedbusily。

  Atoneo’clockeverycoupletooktothefloor。Theunmaskingbeganamidlaughteranddelight,likethatofcarefreechildren。TherewasnoendofOh’sandAh’sasmaskaftermaskwaslifted。Thescintillating’AuroraBorealis’becamethebrawnynegresswhoseincomefromwashingthecommunity’sclothesranataboutfivehundredamonth。Thetwin’Sun—Dogs’discoveredmustachesontheirupperlips,andwererecognizedasbrotherFraction—KingsofElDorado。Inoneofthemostprominentsets,andtheslowestinuncovering,wasCalGalbraithwiththe’SpiritofthePole。’OppositehimwasJackHarringtonandthe’RussianPrincess。’Theresthaddiscoveredthemselves,yetthe’GreekDancer’wasstillmissing。Alleyeswereuponthegroup。CalGalbraith,inresponsetotheircries,liftedhispartner’smask。Freda’swonderfulfaceandbrillianteyesflashedoutuponthem。Aroarwentup,tobesquelchedsuddenlyinthenewandabsorbingmysteryofthe’RussianPrincess。’Herfacewasstillhidden,andJackHarringtonwasstrugglingwithher。Thedancerstitteredonthetiptoesofexpectancy。Hecrushedherdaintycostumeroughly,andthen—andthentherevelersexploded。Thejokewasonthem。Theyhaddancedallnightwithatabooednativewoman。

  Butthosethatknew,andtheyweremany,ceasedabruptly,andahushfellupontheroom。CalGalbraithcrossedoverwithgreatstrides,angrily,andspoketoMadelineinpolyglotChinook。Butsheretainedhercomposure,apparentlyoblivioustothefactthatshewasthecynosureofalleyes,andansweredhiminEnglish。Sheshowedneitherfrightnoranger,andMalemuteKidchuckledatherwell—bredequanimity。TheKingfeltbaffled,defeated;hiscommonSiwashwifehadpassedbeyondhim。

  ’Come!’hesaidfinally。’Comeonhome。’

  ’Ibegpardon,’shereplied;’IhaveagreedtogotosupperwithMr。

  Harrington。Besides,there’snoendofdancespromised。’

  Harringtonextendedhisarmtoleadheraway。Heevincednottheslightestdisinclinationtowardshowinghisback,butMalemuteKidhadbythistimeedgedincloser。TheCircleCityKingwasstunned。

  Twicehishanddroppedtohisbelt,andtwicetheKidgatheredhimselftospring;buttheretreatingcouplepassedthroughthesupper—roomdoorwherecannedoysterswerespreadatfivedollarstheplate。Thecrowdsighedaudibly,brokeupintocouples,andfollowedthem。

  FredapoutedandwentinwithCalGalbraith;butshehadagoodheartandasuretongue,andshespoiledhisoystersforhim。Whatshesaidisofnoimportance,buthisfacewentredandwhiteatintervals,andhesworerepeatedlyandsavagelyathimself。

  Thesupper—roomwasfilledwithapandemoniumofvoices,whichceasedsuddenlyasCalGalbraithsteppedovertohiswife’stable。

  Sincetheunmaskingconsiderableweightsofdusthadbeenplacedastotheoutcome。Everybodywatchedwithbreathlessinterest。

  Harrington’sblueeyesweresteady,butundertheoverhangingtableclothaSmith&Wessonbalancedonhisknee。Madelinelookedup,casually,withlittleinterest。

  ’May—mayIhavethenextrounddancewithyou?’theKingstuttered。

  ThewifeoftheKingglancedathercardandinclinedherhead。

  ANODYSSEYOFTHENORTH。

  I

  THESLEDSWERESINGINGtheireternallamenttothecreakingoftheharnessandthetinklingbellsoftheleaders;butthemenanddogsweretiredandmadenosound。Thetrailwasheavywithnew—fallensnow,andtheyhadcomefar,andtherunners,burdenedwithflint—likequartersoffrozenmoose,clungtenaciouslytotheunpackedsurfaceandheldbackwithastubbornnessalmosthuman。Darknesswascomingon,buttherewasnocamptopitchthatnight。Thesnowfellgentlythroughthepulselessair,notinflakes,butintinyfrostcrystalsofdelicatedesign。Itwasverywarm—barelytenbelowzero—andthemendidnotmind。MeyersandBettleshadraisedtheirearflaps,whileMalemuteKidhadeventakenoffhismittens。

  Thedogshadbeenfaggedoutearlyintheafternoon,buttheynowbegantoshownewvigor。Amongthemoreastutetherewasacertainrestlessness—animpatienceattherestraintofthetraces,anindecisivequicknessofmovement,asniffingofsnoutsandprickingofears。Thesebecameincensedattheirmorephlegmaticbrothers,urgingthemonwithnumerousslynipsontheirhinderquarters。Those,thuschidden,alsocontractedandhelpedspreadthecontagion。Atlasttheleaderoftheforemostsledutteredasharpwhineofsatisfaction,crouchinglowerinthesnowandthrowinghimselfagainstthecollar。

  Therestfollowedsuit。Therewasaningatheringofbackhands,atighteningoftraces;thesledsleapedforward,andthemenclungtothegeepoles,violentlyacceleratingtheupliftoftheirfeetthattheymightescapegoingundertherunners。Thewearinessofthedayfellfromthem,andtheywhoopedencouragementtothedogs。Theanimalsrespondedwithjoyousyelps。Theywereswingingthroughthegatheringdarknessatarattlinggallop。

  ’Gee!Gee!’themencried,eachinturn,astheirsledsabruptlyleftthemaintrail,heelingoveronsinglerunnerslikeluggersonthewind。

  Thencameahundredyards’dashtothelightedparchmentwindow,whichtolditsownstoryofthehomecabin,theroaringYukonstove,andthesteamingpotsoftea。Butthehomecabinhadbeeninvaded。

  Threescorehuskieschoruseddefiance,andasmanyfurryformsprecipitatedthemselvesuponthedogswhichdrewthefirstsled。Thedoorwasflungopen,andaman,cladinthescarlettunicoftheNorthwestPolice,wadedknee—deepamongthefuriousbrutes,calmlyandimpartiallydispensingsoothingjusticewiththebuttendofadogwhip。Afterthatthemenshookhands;andinthiswisewasMalemuteKidwelcomedtohisowncabinbyastranger。

  StanleyPrince,whoshouldhavewelcomedhim,andwhowasresponsiblefortheYukonstoveandhotteaaforementioned,wasbusywithhisguests。Therewereadozenorsoofthem,asnondescriptacrowdaseverservedtheQueenintheenforcementofherlawsorthedeliveryofhermails。Theywereofmanybreeds,buttheircommonlifehadformedofthemacertaintype—aleanandwirytype,withtrail—hardenedmuscles,andsun—brownedfaces,anduntroubledsoulswhichgazedfranklyforth,clear—eyedandsteady。TheydrovethedogsoftheQueen,wroughtfearintheheartsofherenemies,ateofhermeagerfare,andwerehappy。Theyhadseenlife,anddonedeeds,andlivedromances;buttheydidnotknowit。

  Andtheywereverymuchathome。TwoofthemweresprawleduponMalemuteKid’sbunk,singingchansonswhichtheirFrenchforebearssanginthedayswhenfirsttheyenteredtheNorthwestlandandmatedwithitsIndianwomen。Bettles’bunkhadsufferedasimilarinvasion,andthreeorfourlustyvoyageursworkedtheirtoesamongitsblanketsastheylistenedtothetaleofonewhohadservedontheboatbrigadewithWolseleywhenhefoughthiswaytoKhartoum。Andwhenhetired,acowboytoldofcourtsandkingsandlordsandladieshehadseenwhenBuffaloBilltouredthecapitalsofEurope。Inacornertwohalf—breeds,ancientcomradesinalostcampaign,mendedharnessesandtalkedofthedayswhentheNorthwestflamedwithinsurrectionandLouisRielwasking。

  Roughjestsandrougherjokeswentupanddown,andgreathazardsbytrailandriverwerespokenofinthelightofcommonplaces,onlytoberecalledbyvirtueofsomegrainofhumororludicroushappening。

  Princewasledawaybytheseuncrownedheroeswhohadseenhistorymade,whoregardedthegreatandtheromanticasbuttheordinaryandtheincidentalintheroutineoflife。Hepassedhisprecioustobaccoamongthemwithlavishdisregard,andrustychainsofreminiscencewereloosened,andforgottenodysseysresurrectedforhisespecialbenefit。

  Whenconversationdroppedandthetravelersfilledthelastpipesandlashedtheirtight—rolledsleepingfurs。Princefellbackuponhiscomradeforfurtherinformation。

  ’Well,youknowwhatthecowboyis,’MalemuteKidanswered,beginningtounlacehismoccasins;’andit’snothardtoguesstheBritishbloodinhisbedpartner。Asfortherest,they’reallchildrenofthecoureursdubois,mingledwithGodknowshowmanyotherbloods。Thetwoturninginbythedooraretheregulation’breeds’orBoisbrules。Thatladwiththeworstedbreechscarf—noticehiseyebrowsandtheturnofhisjaw—showsaScotchmanweptinhismother’ssmokytepee。AndthathandsomelookingfellowputtingthecapoteunderhisheadisaFrenchhalf—breed—youheardhimtalking;

  hedoesn’tlikethetwoIndiansturninginnexttohim。Yousee,whenthe’breeds’roseundertheRielthefull—bloodskeptthepeace,andthey’venotlostmuchloveforoneanothersince。’

  ’ButIsay,what’sthatglum—lookingfellowbythestove?I’llswearhecan’ttalkEnglish。Hehasn’topenedhismouthallnight。’

  ’You’rewrong。HeknowsEnglishwellenough。Didyoufollowhiseyeswhenhelistened?Idid。Buthe’sneitherkithnorkintotheothers。Whentheytalkedtheirownpatoisyoucouldseehedidn’tunderstand。I’vebeenwonderingmyselfwhatheis。Let’sfindout。’

  ’Fireacoupleofsticksintothestove!’MalemuteKidcommanded,raisinghisvoiceandlookingsquarelyatthemaninquestion。

  Heobeyedatonce。

  ’Haddisciplineknockedintohimsomewhere。’Princecommentedinalowtone。

  MalemuteKidnodded,tookoffhissocks,andpickedhiswayamongrecumbentmentothestove。Therehehunghisdampfootgearamongascoreorsoofmates。

  ’WhendoyouexpecttogettoDawson?’heaskedtentatively。

  Themanstudiedhimamomentbeforereplying。’Theysayseventy—fivemile。So?Maybetwodays。’

  Theveryslightestaccentwasperceptible,whiletherewasnoawkwardhesitancyorgropingforwords。

  ’Beeninthecountrybefore?’

  ’No。’

  ’NorthwestTerritory?’

  ’Yes。’

  ’Bornthere?’

  ’No。’

  ’Well,wherethedevilwereyouborn?You’renoneofthese。’

  MalemuteKidswepthishandoverthedogdrivers,evenincludingthetwopolicemenwhohadturnedintoPrince’sbunk。’Wheredidyoucomefrom?I’veseenfaceslikeyoursbefore,thoughIcan’trememberjustwhere。’

  ’Iknowyou,’heirrelevantlyreplied,atonceturningthedriftofMalemuteKid’squestions。

  ’Where?Everseeme?’

  ’No;yourpartner,himpriest,Pastilik,longtimeago。HimaskmeifIseeyou,MalemuteKid。Himgivemegrub。Inostoplong。Youhearhimspeak’boutme?’

  ’Oh!you’rethefellowthattradedtheotterskinsforthedogs?’

  Themannodded,knockedouthispipe,andsignifiedhisdisinclinationforconversationbyrollingupinhisfurs。MalemuteKidblewouttheslushlampandcrawledundertheblanketswithPrince。

  ’Well,whatishe?’

  ’Don’tknow—turnedmeoff,somehow,andthenshutuplikeaclam。

  Buthe’safellowtowhetyourcuriosity。I’veheardofhim。Allthecoastwonderedabouthimeightyearsago。Sortofmysterious,youknow。HecamedownoutoftheNorthinthedeadofwinter,manyathousandmilesfromhere,skirtingBeringSeaandtravelingasthoughthedevilwereafterhim。Nooneeverlearnedwherehecamefrom,buthemusthavecomefar。Hewasbadlytravel—wornwhenhegotfoodfromtheSwedishmissionaryonGolovinBayandaskedthewaysouth。Weheardofallthisafterward。Thenheabandonedtheshoreline,headingrightacrossNortonSound。Terribleweather,snowstormsandhighwinds,buthepulledthroughwhereathousandothermenwouldhavedied,missingSt。MichaelsandmakingthelandatPastilik。He’dlostallbuttwodogs,andwasnearlygonewithstarvation。

  ’HewassoanxioustogoonthatFatherRoubeaufittedhimoutwithgrub;buthecouldn’tlethimhaveanydogs,forhewasonlywaitingmyarrival,togoonatriphimself。Mr。Ulyssesknewtoomuchtostartonwithoutanimals,andfrettedaroundforseveraldays。Hehadonhissledabunchofbeautifullycuredotterskins,seaotters,youknow,worththeirweightingold。TherewasalsoatPastilikanoldShylockofaRussiantrader,whohaddogstokill。

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