"Thy father was brave man," Ebbits acknowledged, with the air of
one who will keep peace in the house at any cost. "Moklan is thy
son and mine, wherefore he is brave. Mayhap, because of thy very
brave father, Moklan is too brave. It is like when too much water
is put in the pot it spills over. So too much bravery is put into
Moklan, and the bravery spills over.

"The young men are much afraid of the bad water at Cambell Fort.
But Moklan is not afraid. He laughs strong, Ho! ho! and he goes
forth into the bad water. But where the currents come together the
canoe is turned over. A whirl takes Moklan by the legs, and he
goes around and around, and down and down, and is seen no more."

"Ai! ai!" wailed Zilla. "Crafty and wise was he, and my first-
born!"

"I am the father of Moklan," Ebbits said, having patiently given
the woman space for her noise. "I get into canoe and journey down
to Cambell Fort to collect the debt!"

"Debt!" interrupted. "What debt?"

"The debt of Jones, who is chief trader," came the answer. "Such
is the law of travel in a strange country."

I shook my head in token of my ignorance, and Ebbits looked
compassion at me, while Zilla snorted her customary contempt.

"Look you, O White Man," he said. "In thy camp is a dog that
bites. When the dog bites a man, you give that man a present