"Nonsense," says one of the freighters. "You do so much knocking you
can hear the echo."

"There's some one at that door," says she.

"If there was, they'd come in," says Joe.

"Couldn't be, this late in this storm," I adds.

She came from behind the stove, and we let her go to the door alone.
Nobody ever seemed to do any favours for Annie Black.

"She'll be seein' things next," says Joe, winking. "What'd I tell
you? For God's sake close it--you'll freeze us."

Annie opened the door, and was hid to the waist in a cloud of steam
that rolled in out of the blackness. She peered out for a minute,
stooped, and tugged at something in the dark. I was at her side in a
jump, and we dragged him in, snow-covered and senseless.

"Quick--brandy," says she, slashing at his stiff "mukluks." "Joe,
bring in a tub of snow." Her voice was steel sharp.

"Well, I'm danged," says the mail man. "It's only an Injun. You
needn't go crazy like he was a white."

"Oh, you _fool_" says Annie. "Can't you see? Esquimaux don't travel
alone. There's white men behind, and God help them if we don't bring
him to."