y.

"The dog is not killed, because it must pull the sled of the man. No man
pulls another man's sled, wherefore the man is killed."

"Oh," I murmured.

"That is the law," old Ebbits went on. "Now listen, O White Man, and I
will tell you of a great foolishness. There is an Indian. His name is
Mobits. From white man he steals two pounds of flour. What does the
white man do? Does he beat Mobits? No. Does he kill Mobits? No. What
does he do to Mobits? I will tell you, O White Man. He has a house. He
puts Mobits in that house. The roof is good. The walls are thick. He
makes a fire that Mobits may be warm. He gives Mobits plenty grub to
eat. It is good grub. Never in his all days does Mobits eat so good
grub. There is bacon, and bread, and beans without end. Mobits have
very good time.

"There is a big lock on door so that Mobits does not run away. This also
is a great foolishness. Mobits will not run away. All the time is there
plenty grub in that place, and warm blankets, and a big fire. Very
foolish to run away. Mobits is not foolish. Three months Mobits stop in
that place. He steal two pounds of flour. For that, white man take
plenty good care of him. Mobits eat many pounds of flour, many pounds of
sugar, of bacon, of beans without end. Also, Mobits drink much tea.
After three months white man open door and tell Mobits he must go. Mobits
does not want to go. He is like dog that is fed long time in one place.
He want to stay in that place, and the white man must drive Mobits away.
So Mobits come back to this village, and he is very fat. That is the
white man's way, and there is no understanding it. It is a foolishness,
a great foolishness."

"But thy sons?" I insisted. "Thy very strong sons and thine old-age
hunger?"

"There was Moklan," Ebbits began.

"A strong man," interrupted the mother. "He could dip paddle all of a
day and night and never stop for the need of rest. He was wise in the
way of the salmon and in the way of the water. He was very wise."

"There was Moklan," Ebbits repeated, ignoring the interruption. "In the
spring, he went down the Yukon with the young men to trade at Cambell
Fort. There is a post there, filled with the goods of the white man, and
a trader whose name is Jones. Likewise is there a white man's medicine
man, what you call missionary. Also is there bad water at Cambell Fort,
where the Yukon goes slim like a maiden, and the water is fast, a