ficiently for Ian
Ross to complete his work.

"Why, the evil spirits of Unaga, I guess," he replied, with a forced
lightness. Then he shook his head. "They did their best--sure. Another
week or so and you'd have moved about on stumps the rest of your life.
And I'm reckoning that would have been the best you could have hoped.
It's been a darned near thing."

Steve nodded. His manner was curiously indifferent.

"How's the boy?" he demanded abruptly.

Ross put his instruments away and set the water bowl aside. Then he set
the stoppered bottles back into his case.

"He'll be 'whooping' it up with the boys in a couple of days," he said.

"An-ina?"

"Beating the 'reaper' out of sight."

Steve drew a deep breath.

"Oolak was all to pieces," he said doubtfully.

"He was about as broken as he could be and still hang together. He's
been a tough case." It was the doctor's turn to take a deep breath.
"He'll be a man again. But I wouldn't gamble on his shape. Say, Steve,
it's the biggest bluff I've seen put up against death. Those darn
niggers who toted your boats, they're tickled to death with the food the
boys hand out to them. And as for Julyman he's as near cast iron
as--as--you."

"Yes, it was pretty tough."

"Tough? Gee!"

The doctor's final exclamation was one of genuine amazement.

"It's near three weeks since we hauled the remains of you from that
skitter-ridden river," he went on, "and a deal's happened in that time.
Jack Belton's gone in for stores, and to report. We've shifted camp
where the flies, and bugs, and things'll let you folks forget the darn
river, and the nightmare I guess you dreamt on it. You're all beating
the game, some of you by yards, and others by inches. But you're beating
it. And I'm still guessing at those things you all know like you were
born to 'em. When are you going to hand me the yarn, Steve? When are you
going to feel like thinking about the things that two weeks ago looked
like leaving you plumb crazed?"

Steve knitted his brows. To the man watching him it seemed as if the
sudden recalling of the past was still a thing to be avoided. But his
diagnosis was in error. Steve became impatient.

"Oh hell!" he exclaimed. "Do you need me to hand it you? Do you need me
to tell you the fool stunt I played to beat schedule, and get back to
Nita and the kiddie? Do you need to know about a darn territory that
every Indian north of 60 deg. is scared to death of? A territory only fit
f