Roy Norton

“ They sounded as if fired from the same rifle. Jack, too, heard them, and suddenly halted the dog team and came running bade to me.
“The shaman's a damned old murderer,” he panted. “But—he's fighting for us, after all—back there on his own—and I don't like it! You go on with the dogs and see if you can't get Malitka to send us help. I'm going back to join Peluk!”
“Go yourself,” I retorted. “If any one can get Malitka to help, it's you—not me! And, what's more, I doubt if she'd do anything for either of us, but she might for the shaman. He's her right hand.” ”

“ I do know that at least three dark shapes lay in the open trail, one of which writhed and rolled in an agony of wounds. I had leaped forward again, and again dropped to my knee to get steady aim at another leaping shadow, when my rifle was seized and twisted upward and the shaman stood over me.
“Me think that enough,” he observed in about the same tone of voice that he might have used if discussing the completion of a carved button. “Think mebbe bes' we run fas' now and find sled. Takeum some time help other Injuns who got what you callum—hit, ummh? By time they get brave again, we gone. ”

“ Then, faintly, it arose to a scattered choral and sharply there cut in the staccato stabs of rifle shots. The shaman shouted to Jack to stop, and in that waiting pause listened intently. We heard two more shots and savage animal calls, but they were fainter, dying away. The shaman turned his head, settled himself comfortably in the sled and laughed.
“That good joke, ummh? One time wolf chase my white friend, nearly eatum. Now wolf come back chase damn fool Injuns, not us. Sure eat some, mebbe eat all! Very good if do, ummh? Hope so. ”

“ He was breathing heavily when he stopped and, as usual, ignoring Jack, addressed himself to me.
“Think bes' you keep dogs quiet, ummh? No noise, unnerstan'? Mus' go back small way and lissen, ummh? We come fas' but—mebbe others come more fas'. Mus' make sure, ummh? Wait you, here. Me come back bimeby.”
He slid backward along the moonlit trail, rounded a bend of intervening cliffs, and was lost to sight.
“That old devil is as tireless as a locomotive!” Jack muttered, and threw himself into the sled to rest. “If he's taking us back to Malitka, I think we've got a chance. ”

“ It took us five minutes of frantic energy to release dogs and sled, and all the time we momentarily expected to be interrupted by a rifle bullet. None came. When Jack ran ahead to lead the dogs and I fell to the handlebars to steady the sled with its-burden, the shaman was sitting up with his back resting against the incline of the frame and his sturdy legs crossed.
“Been lissenin',” he rumbled. “No can hear nossings. Mus' be native mans got enough. Gone back me think. Give me rifles. Me load 'em up again, so if fools come can shoot more, ummh? Me very sorry no can run. Go more fas'. ”

“ I hastened to fill in with hurried sentences all that I had not imparted, reserving until the very last what Tzitka had indicated of Malitka's guilt. I voiced that part carefully, slowly, punctiliously precise in repetition of Tzitka's words. Jack sat up in the body of the sled where he had stretched himself, leaned both elbows on the side rails, and then climbed out.
“Old man,” he said, “I can't believe it! ”

“ He shouted an order to the old woman to go inside and bring the rifles which he had evidently left in her care. She returned laden with cartridge belts, rifles, and a robe or two. One of the dogs lifted its muzzle and wailed. Peluk silenced it with a savage kick, spoke soothingly to the others and commanded Jack and me to “make hard hold on sled. Mus' run quick.” ”

“ But to my astonishment he was running toward our enemies instead of from them. Furthermore he bellowed a loud, defiant war cry as he charged, a lone man intent upon coming to close quarters with many men.
I am neither a coward nor a brave man ”