ruggling against the great wealth spread before him. 'Even
now are my people come together. They will not have this marriage.'

'But thou art chief.' 'Yet do my young men rage because the Wolves have
taken their maidens so that they may not marry.' 'Listen, O
Thling-Tinneh! Ere the night has passed into the day, the Wolf shall
face his dogs to the Mountains of the East and fare forth to the
Country of the Yukon. And Zarinska shall break trail for his dogs.'
'And ere the night has gained its middle, my young men may fling to the
dogs the flesh of the Wolf, and his bones be scattered in the snow till
the springtime lay them bare.' It was threat and counter-threat.
Mackenzie's bronzed face flushed darkly. He raised his voice. The old
squaw, who till now had sat an impassive spectator, made to creep by
him for the door.

The song of the men broke suddenly and there was a hubbub of many
voices as he whirled the old woman roughly to her couch of skins.

'Again I cry--listen, O Thling-Tinneh! The Wolf dies with teeth
fast-locked, and with him there shall sleep ten of thy strongest
men,--men who are needed, for the hunting is not begun, and the fishing
is not many moons away. And again, of what profit should I die? I know
the custom of thy people; thy share of my wealth shall be very small.
Grant me thy child, and it shall all be thine. And yet again, my
brothers will come, and they are many, and their maws are never filled;
and the daughters of the Raven shall bear children in the lodges of the
Wolf. My people are greater than thy people. It is destiny. Grant, and
all this wealth is thine.' Moccasins were crunching the snow without.
Mackenzie threw his rifle to cock, and loosened the twin Colts in his
belt.

'Grant, O Chief!' 'And yet will my people say no.' 'Grant, and the
wealth is thine. Then shall I deal with thy people after.' 'The Wolf
will have it so. I will take his tokens,--but I would warn him.'
Mackenzie passed over the goods, taking care to clog the rifle's
ejector, and capping the bargain with a kaleidoscopic silk kerchief.
The Shaman and half a dozen young braves entered, but he shouldered
boldly among them and passed out.

'Pack!' was his laconic greeting to Zarinska as he passed her lodge and
hurried to harness his dogs. A few minutes later he swept into the
council at the head of the team, the woman by his side. He took his
place at the upper end of the oblong, by the side of the chief. To his
left, a st