shing
grounds.

When the general dance was announced every Thlinget buck sprang to his
feet and sought a partner of the opposite sex. About the room in a
circle the fantastic figures leaped with savage abandon. When the
tired couples sought the resting places against the walls again and
each buck gallantly presented his partner with a small bag of
raisins--a custom introduced by the enterprising white traders.

Faster and more softly came the boom and thud of drums and dancing
sticks, until the urge of them caused even Ellen's feet to beat time to
the primitive music. She glanced at her sister. Jean's eyes were
sparkling. Her lithe body was swaying and her hands moving in rhythm
with the Thlinget's dance.

"For two cents, Ellen, I'd dance with my admirer, Swimming Wolf!" She
laughed in her sister's ear. "I feel the stir of the blood of our
remote ancestors, who must have stepped it off in some such manner as
this. . . . Look at your son, El!"

Loll, by now regarding every Indian as his friend, was standing before
Senott. That dusky belle was resting after a mad, joyous whirl with
Hoots-noo, Heart-of-a-Grizzly. The boy's head was nodding with
earnestness as he talked to her, and he was playing with the dozen gold
and silver bracelets which adorned the gay one's shapely arms.
Suddenly, with a laugh, Senott rose from the floor and grasping the
boy's hands began to circle about the room with him. The drummers and
holders of the dancing sticks showed their white teeth in delighted
grins and quickened the rhythm of their music.

"By ginger," said Shane, his lean face alight with interest, "I'd like
to shake a leg myself. Ellen--" he turned to his wife--"what you say?"

Ellen shook her head, smiling. "Take Jean, dear. She's wild to dance."

Shane turned to his sister-in-law. Laughing, she gave him her hand and
the two stepped down and joined the bizarre throng. The smiling
natives paused a moment to watch as the white couple improvised steps
to suit the music, then the dance went on as before.

The drum-beats grew wilder, more stirring. The room grew warmer and
the lights burned dimmer. Kayak Bill sitting between Ellen and Paul
Kilbuck, attempted a monologue, but finding no listeners, gave it up to
puff contentedly.

The fumes of Kayak's pipe seemed overly strong to Ellen. She began to
feel the need of fresh air. She glanced at her sister and her husband
as they passed her, laughing over an intri