on, all him
star. Marcel love her? Oh, yes? An-ina say 'no.' Marcel not love her.
Marcel love her, he say: 'An-ina no 'count Indian woman. She go plumb to
hell--anyway. She nothing. Only Keeko. Marcel love her all to death. He
go find her. He not care. Only so he find her.'"

Marcel stood dumb with amazement. His eyes were alight with a laugh he
strove to restrain, but they were alight with something else, too.
An-ina watched him. And her laugh came again as she flung her final
taunt.

"Indian man say him love An-ina?" she cried. "Indian man not come fetch
her--quick? Indian man say him not leave mother for An-ina? Then An-ina
spit at him."

It was the savage breaking through the years of simple culture. The
appeal of it all was beyond Marcel's power to resist. Suddenly he flung
out his two great arms, and the hands that were immense with his
muscular strength came down on the woman's soft, ample shoulders, and he
held her in a great affectionate embrace.

"That's fixed it, you dear mother thing!" he cried, his face flushing
with the joy of it all, the shame of it. "I'm going right away. I'm just
going to leave you right here to the darn Sleepers, to the wolves, and
the dogs, and any old thing that fancies to get around. There's no woman
going to spit at--your Marcel."

* * * * *

Marcel had gone. An-ina had seen to that. She had given him no chance to
change his mind, or to permit his duty to override his desire.

There had been little enough likelihood of any such thing happening. The
man was too human, too young, too madly in love. But An-ina was taking
no risk. So, with her own hands, she helped him prepare his outfit, and
she saw to and considered those details for his comfort which, in his
superlative impulse, he would probably have ignored. He went alone. He
refused to rouse one single Sleeper to lend him aid. His journey was in
that treacherous time between the seasons, when the snow and ice would
be rotting, and the latter part of his journey would find his winter
equipment an added burden.

Then he had set out. An-ina watched his great figure move away with joy
and pride thrilling her heart. He was out to battle with the elements,
with everything which the life of the Northland could oppose to him, for
the possession of the woman he loved. In her simple, half savage mind it
was the sign of the crown of manhood to which she had helped him. She
was glad--so glad.

The j