ent and disappeared in the
forest. Tana-naw Station waited their reappearance, and long and vainly
it waited.

In the meantime Akoon ate and slept, and lingered much at the steamboat
landing, deaf to the rising resentment of Tana-naw Station in that he did
nothing. Twenty-four hours later Porportuk returned. He was tired and
savage. He spoke to no one but Akoon, and with him tried to pick a
quarrel. But Akoon shrugged his shoulders and walked away. Porportuk
did not waste time. He outfitted half a dozen of the young men,
selecting the best trackers and travellers, and at their head plunged
into the forest.

Next day the steamer _Seattle_, bound up river, pulled in to the shore
and wooded up. When the lines were cast off and she churned out from the
bank, Akoon was on board in the pilot-house. Not many hours afterward,
when it was his turn at the wheel, he saw a small birch-bark canoe put
off from the shore. There was only one person in it. He studied it
carefully, put the wheel over, and slowed down.

The captain entered the pilot-house. "What's the matter?" he demanded.
"The water's good."

Akoon grunted. He saw a larger canoe leaving the bank, and in it were a
number of persons. As the _Seattle_ lost headway, he put the wheel over
some more.

The captain fumed. "It's only a squaw," he protested.

Akoon did not grunt. He was all eyes for the squaw and the pursuing
canoe. In the latter six paddles were flashing, while the squaw paddled
slowly.

"You'll be aground," the captain protested, seizing the wheel.

But Akoon countered his strength on the wheel and looked him in the eyes.
The captain slowly released the spokes.

"Queer beggar," he sniffed to himself.

Akoon held the _Seattle_ on the edge of the shoal water and waited till
he saw the squaw's fingers clutch the forward rail. Then he signalled
for full speed ahead and ground the wheel over. The large canoe was very
near, but the gap between it and the steamer was widening.

The squaw laughed and leaned over the rail.

"Then catch me, Porportuk!" she cried.

Akoon left the steamer at Fort Yukon. He outfitted a small poling-boat
and went up the Porcupine River. And with him went El-Soo. It was a
weary journey, and the way led across the backbone of the world; but
Akoon had travelled it before. When they came to the head-waters of the
Porcupine, they left the boat and went on foot across the Rocky
Mountains.

Akoon greatly lik