nce,
and I the only white. No one knew me, barring a few of the bucks I'd met
over Sitka way, but I'd got most of their histories from Happy Jack.

"Everybody talking Chinook, not guessing that I could spit it better than
most; and principally two girls who'd run away from Haine's Mission up
the Lynn Canal. They were trim creatures, good to the eye, and I kind of
thought of casting that way; but they were fresh as fresh-caught cod. Too
much edge, you see. Being a new-comer, they started to twist me, not
knowing I gathered in every word of Chinook they uttered.

"I never let on, but set to dancing with Tilly, and the more we danced
the more our hearts warmed to each other. 'Looking for a woman,' one of
the girls says, and the other tosses her head and answers, 'Small chance
he'll get one when the women are looking for men.' And the bucks and
squaws standing around began to grin and giggle and repeat what had been
said. 'Quite a pretty boy,' says the first one. I'll not deny I was
rather smooth-faced and youngish, but I'd been a man amongst men many's
the day, and it rankled me. 'Dancing with Chief George's girl,' pipes
the second. 'First thing George'll give him the flat of a paddle and
send him about his business.' Chief George had been looking pretty black
up to now, but at this he laughed and slapped his knees. He was a husky
beggar and would have used the paddle too.

"'Who's the girls?' I asked Tilly, as we went ripping down the centre in
a reel. And as soon as she told me their names I remembered all about
them from Happy Jack. Had their pedigree down fine--several things he'd
told me that not even their own tribe knew. But I held my hush, and went
on courting Tilly, they a-casting sharp remarks and everybody roaring.
'Bide a wee, Tommy,' I says to myself; 'bide a wee.'

"And bide I did, till the dance was ripe to break up, and Chief George
had brought a paddle all ready for me. Everybody was on the lookout for
mischief when we stopped; but I marched, easy as you please, slap into
the thick of them. The Mission girls cut me up something clever, and for
all I was angry I had to set my teeth to keep from laughing. I turned
upon them suddenly.

"'Are you done?' I asked.

"You should have seen them when they heard me spitting Chinook. Then I
broke loose. I told them all about themselves, and their people before
them; their fathers, mothers, sisters, brothers--everybody, everything.
Each mean t