rent underneath, paddling desperately.

"As they ran out of the tents with their rifles I leaped.

"A long drop and cold water, but I hit feet first. When I rose the
little girl was alongside.

"It's a ticklish thing to crawl over the stern of a canoe in the
spatter of slugs, with the roar of muzzle-loaders above. It's
shakin' to the nerves, but the maid never flinched, not even when a
bullet split the gunnel. She ripped a piece of her dress and plugged
a hole under the water line while I paddled out of range.

"The next winter at Holy Cross she ran to me shaking one day.

"'He is here! He is here! Oh, Big man, I am afraid!'

"'Who's here?' says I.

"'He is here--Father Orloff,' and her eyes was round and scared so
that I took her up and kissed her while she clung to me--she was such
a little girl.

"'He spoke to me at the water-hole, "I have come for you." I ran
very fast, but he came behind. "Where is George?"' he said.

"I went out of the cabin down to the Mission, and into the house of
Father Barnum. He was there.

"'Orloff! What do ye want?' I says.

"Father Barnum speaks up--'he's known for a good man the length of
the river. George,' says he, 'Father Orloff tells me you stole the
girl Metla from her tribe. 'Tis a shameful thing for a white to take
a red girl for his wife, but it's a crime to live as you do.'

"'What?' says I.

"'We can't sell you provisions nor allow you to stay in the village.'

"Orloff grins. 'You must go on,' he says, 'or give her up.'

"'No! I'll do neither.' And I shows the paper from the missionary
at Nulato statin' that we were married. 'She's my wife,' says I,
'and too good for me. She's left her people and her gods, and I'll
care for her.' I saw how it hurt Orloff, and I laid my hand on his
shoulder close to the neck. 'I distrust ye, and sure as Fate ye'll
die the shocking death if ever harm comes to the little one.'

"That was the winter of the famine, though every winter was the same
then, and I went to Anvik for grub--took all the strong men and dogs
in the village. I was afraid when I left, too, for 'twas the time I
should have been with her, but there was no one else to go.

"'When you come back,' she said, 'there will be another--a little
boy--and he will grow mighty and strong, like his father.' She hung
her arms around me, Cap, and I left with her kisses warm on my lips.

"It was a terrible trip, the river wet with overflows and the
cut-o