hear the name of that country.
I have heard the name before, but I would hear it again, if it be the
same--thus will I know if I have heard lies or true talk."

Old Ebbits regarded me with a wistful face. He would have the truth at
any cost, though it was his desire to retain his faith in the marvel he
had never seen.

"Yes," I answered, "it is true talk that you have heard. There is no
snow in that country, and its name is California."

"Cal-ee-forn-ee-yeh," he mumbled twice and thrice, listening intently to
the sound of the syllables as they fell from his lips. He nodded his
head in confirmation. "Yes, it is the same country of which Yamikan made
talk."

I recognized the adventure of Yamikan as one likely to occur in the early
days when Alaska first passed into the possession of the United States.
Such a murder case, occurring before the instalment of territorial law
and officials, might well have been taken down to the United States for
trial before a Federal court.

"When Yamikan is in this country where there is no snow," old Ebbits
continued, "he is taken to large house where many men make much talk.
Long time men talk. Also many questions do they ask Yamikan. By and by
they tell Yamikan he have no more trouble. Yamikan does not understand,
for never has he had any trouble. All the time have they given him warm
place to sleep and plenty grub.

"But after that they give him much better grub, and they give him money,
and they take him many places in white man's country, and he see many
strange things which are beyond the understanding of Ebbits, who is an
old man and has not journeyed far. After two years, Yamikan comes back
to this village, and he is head man, and very wise until he dies.

"But before he dies, many times does he sit by my fire and make talk of
the strange things he has seen. And Bidarshik, who is my son, sits by
the fire and listens; and his eyes are very wide and large because of the
things he hears. One night, after Yamikan has gone home, Bidarshik
stands up, so, very tall, and he strikes his chest with his fist, and
says, 'When I am a man, I shall journey in far places, even to the land
where there is no snow, and see things for myself.'"

"Always did Bidarshik journey in far places," Zilla interrupted proudly.

"It be true," Ebbits assented gravely. "And always did he return to sit
by the fire and hunger for yet other and unknown far places."

"And always did he remember