t be made clean. As I say, I
heard the talk, and I knew it for good talk, and I knew that in the night
the Russians were to be killed. But there was my brother, Kamo-tah, sick
and groaning and with no meat; so I could not stay and fight with the men
and the boys not yet hunters.

"And I took with me meat and fish, and the lash-marks of Ivan, and I
found Kamo-tah no longer groaning, but dead. Then I went back to Nulato,
and, behold, there was no Nulato--only ashes where the great fort had
stood, and the bodies of many men. And I saw the Russians come up the
Yukon in boats, fresh from the sea, many Russians; and I saw Ivan creep
forth from where he lay hid and make talk with them. And the next day I
saw Ivan lead them upon the trail of the tribe. Even now are they upon
the trail, and I am here, Negore, but no coward."

"This is a tale I hear," said Oona, though her voice was gentler than
before. "Kamo-tah is dead and cannot speak for thee, and I know only
what I know, and I must know thee of my own eyes for no coward."

Negore made an impatient gesture.

"There be ways and ways," she added. "Art thou willing to do no less
than what Old Kinoos hath done?"

He nodded his head, and waited.

"As thou hast said, they seek for us even now, these Russians. Show them
the way, Negore, even as Old Kinoos showed them the way, so that they
come, unprepared, to where we wait for them, in a passage up the rocks.
Thou knowest the place, where the wall is broken and high. Then will we
destroy them, even Ivan. When they cling like flies to the wall, and top
is no less near than bottom, our men shall fall upon them from above and
either side, with spears, and arrows, and guns. And the women and
children, from above, shall loosen the great rocks and hurl them down
upon them. It will be a great day, for the Russians will be killed, the
land will be made clean, and Ivan, even Ivan who thrust out my father's
eyes and laid the lash of his dog-whip upon thee, will be killed. Like a
dog gone mad will he die, his breath crushed out of him beneath the
rocks. And when the fighting begins, it is for thee, Negore, to crawl
secretly away so that thou be not slain."

"Even so," he answered. "Negore will show them the way. And then?"

"And then I shall be thy woman, Negore's woman, the brave man's woman.
And thou shalt hunt meat for me and Old Kinoos, and I shall cook thy
food, and sew thee warm parkas and strong, and make thee m