crowded round. Never had they heard a white man sling their lingo as I
did. Everybody was laughing save the Mission girls. Even Chief George
forgot the paddle, or at least he was swallowing too much respect to dare
to use it.

"But the girls. 'Oh, don't, Tommy,' they cried, the tears running down
their cheeks. 'Please don't. We'll be good. Sure, Tommy, sure.' But I
knew them well, and I scorched them on every tender spot. Nor did I
slack away till they came down on their knees, begging and pleading with
me to keep quiet. Then I shot a glance at Chief George; but he did not
know whether to have at me or not, and passed it off by laughing
hollowly.

"So be. When I passed the parting with Tilly that night I gave her the
word that I was going to be around for a week or so, and that I wanted to
see more of her. Not thick-skinned, her kind, when it came to showing
like and dislike, and she looked her pleasure for the honest girl she
was. Ay, a striking lass, and I didn't wonder that Chief George was
taken with her.

"Everything my way. Took the wind from his sails on the first leg. I
was for getting her aboard and sailing down Wrangel way till it blew
over, leaving him to whistle; but I wasn't to get her that easy. Seems
she was living with an uncle of hers--guardian, the way such things
go--and seems he was nigh to shuffling off with consumption or some sort
of lung trouble. He was good and bad by turns, and she wouldn't leave
him till it was over with. Went up to the tepee just before I left, to
speculate on how long it'd be; but the old beggar had promised her to
Chief George, and when he clapped eyes on me his anger brought on a
hemorrhage.