rsed in the thoughts of the powers
and chose unerringly. It was very natural. Death came by many ways, yet
was it all one after all,--a manifestation of the all-powerful and
inscrutable.

But Hitchcock came of a later world-breed. His traditions were less
concrete and without reverence, and he said, "Not so, Sipsu. You are
young, and yet in the full joy of life. The witch doctor is a fool, and
his choice is evil. This thing shall not be."

She smiled and answered, "Life is not kind, and for many reasons. First,
it made of us twain the one white and the other red, which is bad. Then
it crossed our trails, and now it parts them again; and we can do
nothing. Once before, when the gods were angry, did your brothers come
to the camp. They were three, big men and white, and they said the thing
shall not be. But they died quickly, and the thing was."

Hitchcock nodded that he heard, half-turned, and lifted his voice. "Look
here, you fellows! There's a lot of foolery going on over to the camp,
and they're getting ready to murder Sipsu. What d'ye say?"

Wertz looked at Hawes, and Hawes looked back, but neither spoke. Sigmund
dropped his head, and petted the shepherd dog between his knees. He had
brought Shep in with him from the outside, and thought a great deal of
the animal. In fact, a certain girl, who was much in his thoughts, and
whose picture in the little locket on his breast often inspired him to
sing, had given him the dog and her blessing when they kissed good-by and
he started on his Northland quest.

"What d'ye say?" Hitchcock repeated.

"Mebbe it's not so serious," Hawes answered with deliberation. "Most
likely it's only a girl's story."

"That isn't the point!" Hitchcock felt a hot flush of anger sweep over
him at their evident reluctance. "The question is, if it is so, are we
going to stand it? What are we going to do?"

"I don't see any call to interfere," spoke up Wertz. "If it is so, it is
so, and that's all there is about it. It's a way these people have of
doing. It's their religion, and it's no concern of ours. Our concern is
to get the dust and then get out of this God-forsaken land. 'T isn't fit
for naught else but beasts? And what are these black devils but beasts?
Besides, it'd be damn poor policy."

"That's what I say," chimed in Hawes. "Here we are, four of us, three
hundred miles from the Yukon or a white face. And what can we do against
half-a-hundred Indians?