Roy Norton

“ Your heart has turned to water, because one of these white men you made a friend and because you are old. Peluk, you are no longer fit to be chief. Shaman, yes—to sit by your fireside and tell legends; but to rule and carry out the Great Lady's orders never more. From to-night I am chief of our people. ”

“ But no run till me say 'go!' Mebbe not have to run. Lissen! Down in kashime many mans talk. Think mebbe do what me say but for one young man!” He characterized him with the worst invectives in his tongue. “This savage say mus' killum you, and if me no quiet, mus' killum me. But me makeum afraid! Then me come away. Some young mans stay there palaver. No can tell what they do. Hope do nossings. But if do—well—mus' do bes' can. Me! Still shaman, tyune. Mus' wait see. You do what me say, ummh? If young mans come no let see you, ummh?” ”

“ The group behind the spokesman shifted uneasily, but the latter had no hesitancy and spoke belligerently.
“We have come to get the two white men.”
“You have, ummh?” said the shaman, as unperturbed as if the errand were a casual one of good will. “And what do you propose to do with them?”
“They must be killed,” the tall native asserted. And then as if to bolster up his followers' courage, he fell into loud declamation, bending his head forward to scowl at Peluk and gesturing with his hands. “Hark you, Peluk! ”

“ For a while some of the men at the mines worked, and I could see several windlasses going where stalwart squat forms labored like automatons, first laying broad shoulders and powerful arms to the hoisting of the great buckets filled with what I surmised was pay dirt, then skidding them out to the end of the dumps, emptying them, skidding them back to the shafts and lowering them for another burden of earth, gravel, and gold. ”

“ Whether it suits me best to have you alive, or send you to join this wonderful chieftain of yours that may have gone to a hunting ground where he has no followers until you come. It would be a pity to have so great a tyune arrive there with none to do him honor and explain his greatness. Pick him up and be gone, I say!”
The dogs of the camp had intensified their chorus to a wild crescendo. Lights were appearing in the windows of the cabins. Men and women were starting in our direction; but so fierce and so far-reaching was that great bellow of Peluk's that it carried above all other sounds ”

“ Always before now, when strangers came and the Great Lady sent you out upon their trails to slay lest the secret that has made our people richer and happier than any other people in this land be loosened, you obeyed. ”

“ If you get away and go ten—yes, more as twenty sleeps—no good. Catchum you. Bang! Bang! Dead! No, mus' let me, Peluk, say what bes' do. Mus' wait! Mebbe young mans do nossings. Heap young mans talk big but do nossing. Mebbe cool off same as bad dog in water, ummh? Mebbe soon see, No wait long.”
He turned and hastily moved out into the hallway where he muttered orders to the old squaw who was our housekeeper. I heard a door open, and, alert to learn what was afoot, stepped cautiously out into the hall. Jack fallowed me. ”

“ One young man here makeum trouble many time before you come. That very bad young man, what you call savage, ummh? Him say must killum you quick! Me say, 'No, not so much hurry.' Say can killum mebbe next week, mebbe nex' mont', jus' as good as killum now. Think mebbe young man talk other young mans, makeum think his way, ummh? Me speak to one old man, say, 'One white man my friend. Osser white man no matter. ”

“ Think can sleep. But—to-morrow think mus' make sure young man what speak of not talk too much. Mus' get that young man a klootch. Nothin' like good squaw make young mans quiet, ummh? You think same? Squaw and babee make mans go quiet. Ummh? Makeum heap think. ”

“ He mumbled something about the necessity for food, and then, observing that we had not laid out garments suitable for the trail and the frigid night, said gently, “Think bes' get warm things. Mebbe go nowhere. Mebbe run fas'. ”