an hour before, offered one hundred dollars in
a confident voice, and was surprised when Akoon turned threateningly upon
him with the rifle. The bidding dragged. An Indian from the Tozikakat,
a pilot, bid one hundred and fifty, and after some time a gambler, who
had been ordered out of the Upper Country, raised the bid to two hundred.
El-Soo was saddened; her pride was hurt; but the only effect was that she
flamed more audaciously upon the crowd.

There was a disturbance among the onlookers as Porportuk forced his way
to the front. "Five hundred dollars!" he bid in a loud voice, then
looked about him proudly to note the effect.

He was minded to use his great wealth as a bludgeon with which to stun
all competition at the start. But one of the voyageurs, looking on El-
Soo with sparkling eyes, raised the bid a hundred.

"Seven hundred!" Porportuk returned promptly.

And with equal promptness came the "Eight hundred" of the voyageur.

Then Porportuk swung his club again.

"Twelve hundred!" he shouted.

With a look of poignant disappointment, the voyageur succumbed. There
was no further bidding. Tommy worked hard, but could not elicit a bid.

El-Soo spoke to Porportuk. "It were good, Porportuk, for you to weigh
well your bid. Have you forgotten the thing I told you--that I would
never marry you!"

"It is a public auction," he retorted. "I shall buy you with a bill of
sale. I have offered twelve hundred dollars. You come cheap."

"Too damned cheap!" Tommy cried. "What if I am auctioneer? That does
not prevent me from bidding. I'll make it thirteen hundred."

"Fourteen hundred," from Porportuk.

"I'll buy you in to be my--my sister," Tommy whispered to El-Soo, then
called aloud, "Fifteen hundred!"

At two thousand one of the Eldorado kings took a hand, and Tommy dropped
out.

A third time Porportuk swung the club of his wealth, making a clean raise
of five hundred dollars. But the Eldorado king's pride was touched. No
man could club him. And he swung back another five hundred.

El-Soo stood at three thousand. Porportuk made it thirty-five hundred,
and gasped when the Eldorado king raised it a thousand dollars. Porportuk
again raised it five hundred, and again gasped when the king raised a
thousand more.

Porportuk became angry. His pride was touched; his strength was
challenged, and with him strength took the form of wealth. He would not
be ashamed for weakness before the world. El-S