'Now will I deal with the Fox and the Bear. It seems they have
cast eyes upon the maiden. So? Behold, I have bought her!
Thling-Tinneh leans upon the rifle; the goods of purchase are by
his fire. Yet will I be fair to the young men. To the Fox, whose
tongue is dry with many words, will I give of tobacco five long
plugs.

'Thus will his mouth be wetted that he may make much noise in the
council. But to the Bear, of whom I am well proud, will I give of
blankets two; of flour, twenty cups; of tobacco, double that of
the Fox; and if he fare with me over the Mountains of the East,
then will I give him a rifle, mate to Thling-Tinneh's. If not?
Good! The Wolf is weary of speech. Yet once again will he say the
Law: Whoso taketh the life of one Wolf, the forfeit shall ten of
his people pay.'

Mackenzie smiled as he stepped back to his old position, but at
heart he was full of trouble. The night was yet dark. The girl
came to his side, and he listened closely as she told of the
Bear's battle-tricks with the knife.

The decision was for war. In a trice, scores of moccasins were
widening the space of beaten snow by the fire. There was much
chatter about the seeming defeat of the Shaman; some averred he
had but withheld his power, while others conned past events and
agreed with the Wolf. The Bear came to the center of the
battle-ground, a long naked hunting-knife of Russian make in his
hand. The Fox called attention to Mackenzie's revolvers; so he
stripped his belt, buckling it about Zarinska, into whose hands
he also entrusted his rifle. She shook her head that she could