Roy Norton

“ Dogs of the village that we were approaching took up the cry, rushed to meet us, and came to us as we slipped out into the bottom of that terrifying declivity. Doors of cabins swung open and men emerged, followed by women and children. ”

“ I declared deliberately, “that it. is she who has brought these natives up to this standard; that for some private reason of her own she has no ambitions outside of those involved in this gold camp, no desire to leave it—and, what is more, doesn't intend to suffer any interruption. And—Jack—I'm more afraid of her than all the others! She has ordered the death of every one who purposely or accidentally intruded into this kingdom of hers. I don't know why we were spared in the first place. The shaman doesn't know, I am certain.” ”

“ Peluk instantly replied with a storm of invective and threats and shook his fists at me. He did it so well that for an instant I was terrified by the fear that he had misunderstood my move and had accepted it as earnest. He put my momentary alarm to rest by shouting to the other natives, one of whom had unslung a rifle and was moving hurriedly in our direction.
“This white man wants to camp!” he cried. “Ugh! They have no guts for a long trail. They are weaklings without strong hearts like we have. ”

“ I shifted around and met the shaman's steady eyes that seemed glitteringly malevolent in the light of the waning moon. I did not know what reply to make, and he took a step closer until his face was not far from mine and added, “One other white man see this place. That white man with scar on face. That man the one what we follow nine sleeps on trail and—kill! ”

“ In mebbe one minute, mebbe one hour, young men catchum, killum you! If you get away one, two, t'ree, four, mebbe ten whole days, ten whole sleeps—catchum you jus' same. Run away no good. No can do. Me do bes' can.”
I watched him through the window after he had left us, and as he trudged away over the snow toward the other cabins I saw that he was directing his steps toward the largest cabin—no—house—in the village. Also I observed, with some growing disquietude, that other men, but neither squaws nor children, were proceeding in that direction as if to a meeting place. ”

“ I studied her pretty closely from my viewpoint, and I'm afraid that if she considered it necessary to wipe out merely two men, to guard what she considers to be the happiness and welfare of several hundreds of natives that she has brought into something like a state of civilization, it would be done. ”

“ For some minutes after I had ceased talking he pondered.
“Then you think that all these natives are of a somewhat superior and clever class; that they know the value of gold; that they are aware that if white men knew of its existence, these, the natives, would succumb, go to pot—be wiped out. And—Malitka? ”