A. M. Chisholm

“ Many white men have done the same thing.
"Siwash George is afraid you will kill him, too."
"Ah-hah!" he said noncommittally, and let it go at that.
Possibly I should, have felt horror and repulsion in the presence of a double murderer. But as a matter of fact, I felt none at all. I knew the Indian code of reprisal which permits any way of playing even. Ignace had done merely what by the custom and tradition of his people he had a perfect right to do—what, in fact, it was his duty to do—and Nootka and the woman had been quite aware of that. ”

“ Meantime I had levered a cartridge into the chamber of the rifle. But they were turning and twisting so fast that I could not shoot without a chance of hitting the wrong man. Anyway, I had a natural disinclination to kill a man by shooting him in the back. And so, when they fell, and Siwash George came on top, I just cracked him back of the ear with the heavy, octagon barrel. I put plenty of power into the swing, and he toppled over like a sack of oats. Ignace raised himself on one arm and poised his knife for an instant. ”

“ Siwash George swore. "What's the name of this buck?"
"Ignace Stone—calls himself Ignace Mountain. He belongs over on the Smokey."
"He'll be bad, hey?" Louis queried.
"Bad?" echoed Siwash George. "Oh, no, he ain't bad. This don't look like it, does it? He's plumb gentle—like a crazy wolf! Look at poor old Charlie. He socks that knife to him up to the haft every crack!"
So that was the mission of the lame Indian, ostensibly looking for trapping ground! For months, probably—it was hard to say how long—he had been on the trail of Nootka Charlie and his faithless wife. ”

“ With faint, underfoot rustlings, an old cock grouse appeared from nowhere a few feet away, and, suddenly glimpsing me, stood like a statue for some minutes before, with stealthy steps, he got a bush between him and danger and vanished thankfully about his business. ”

“ But the haft of the big knife lay in the palm of his right hand, and the blade was concealed behind his sinewy forearm.
"You look," he instructed. "S'pose him come anyway, you stand up and holla."
I peeped over the log. Siwash George was very near. As I looked, he hesitated, turned, and came directly toward the log. I stood up. As if my action had found a reflex in his muscles, his rifle covered me instantly. ”

“ With my eyes on the old squaw man, I backed toward it swiftly, put my hand on it, and vaulted for cover. But, instead of alighting on the ground, I came down on•a living body.
My first thought was that I had jumped on a bear; but the next instant I knew it was a man. My instinctive, startled yell was shut off in my throat by a grip that made my mouth open and my eyes bulge; an arm like a wire hawser wrapped itself around the small of my back with a jerking constriction that seemed to yank the stiffening clean out of my spine ”