ny presence into the Indian country." It also says
that the white man who attempts to break this law "shall be punished by
imprisonment for not more than two years and by a fine of not more than
three hundred dollars." It further says that if any superintendent of
Indian affairs has reason to suspect a man, he may cause the "boats,
stores, packages, wagons, sleds, and places of deposit" of such person
to be searched, and if ardent spirits be found it shall be forfeit,
together with the boats and all other substances with it connected, one
half to the informer and the other half to the use of the United States.
The courts and all legal machines necessary for trial and punishment of
offenders are oiled and ready; two years is a long while in jail; three
hundred dollars and confiscation sounds heavy; altogether the penalty
looks severe on the printed page--and all the while there's no brisker
success in our far West than selling whiskey to Indians. Very few people
know what the whiskey is made of, and the Indian does not care. He
drinks till he drops senseless. If he has killed nobody and nobody him
during the process, it is a good thing, for then the matter ends with
his getting sober and going home to his tent till such happy time when
he can put his hand on some further possession to trade away. The white
offender is caught now and then; but Okanagon County lies pretty snug
from the arm of the law. It's against Canada to the north, and the empty
county of Stevens to the east; south of it rushes the Columbia, with
the naked horrible Big Bend beyond, and to its west rises a domain
of unfooted mountains. There is law up in the top of it at Conconully
sometimes, but not much even to-day, for that is still a new country,
where flow the Methow, the Ashinola, and the Similikameen.

Consequently a cabin like Wild-Goose Jake's was a holiday place. The
blanketed denizens of the reservation crossed to it, and the citizens
who had neighboring cabins along the trail repaired here to spend what
money they had. As Mrs. Clallam lay in her bed she heard customers
arrive. Two or three loud voices spoke in English, and several Indians
and squaws seemed to be with the party, bantering in Chinook. The
visitors were in too strong force for Jake's word about coming some
other night to be of any avail.

"Open your cellar and quit your talk," Elizabeth heard, and next she
heard some door that stuck, pulled open with a shriek of the warped
timb