Evening star., 1919-10-05

CLANCY went up over the wheel as II
the devil were behind him. His voice
scaled up shrilly. Take 1t away, 1
do want it! I do want nothin' to do
with you. nor none of you!" He
cracked his whip. "G'lang. there!"
The heavy wagon lurched off over the
meadow creaking horribly. The breed
boy, perfectly Indifferent to the whole
scene, followed. guiding the other
team.
The girl had drawn an inscrutable
mask over her face. AS long as they
were in sight she followed the wagons
with her eyes. neither moving nor
speaking. Mahk began to feel de-
cidedly uneasy. Finally she turned on
him. A woman's anger broke through
the mask; >the comely brown face
quivered. She had not enough Eng
lish to express 1t adequately.
You one devil" she said between
her teeth. You tell bad on me. You
speak lies! ] good girl, me. You make
his scare! l hate your
When one feels sure Of ones posi-
tion there is always something ludi-
crous in the anger of the other party.
Mahk-so began to laugh. The sound
of 1t infuriated the girl beyond hear
ing. The laugh was cut short by the
fish-full in Mahk-so's face.
1t was then his turn to lose his
temper. Striding forward he seized
her wrist.
"Hit me! Hit me- she taunted,
knowing very well that a white man
would not.
He flung her wrist from him. "You
little fool!' he said contemptuously.
You're all alike, you girls. You make
a man tired! Just like you to chase
after a human OK and his gear, and
. throw over one of the best fellows in
the north. What do you want for
husband anyway. couple of wagon
loads of household stun or a man?
That's no man yonder. but pot
bellied rabbit. Speak to him Of dan
ger and he falls off like snow-water
under the spring SUM-"
When Mahk-so, having relieved his
mind and used up his wind, finally
came to pause, she said very OFF,
hand: II not mad no more now. me-
l glad him gone"
You had your dinner?" she asked,
still maintaining her air of indifref-
ence.
Not yet" said Mahk-so.
II cook him fish for you.' she said.
Mahk-so, while she built little
fire and prepared the fish, watched
her. rejecting that she was really
very pretty, and that he was quite
a fellow to have brought her round.
Mahk-so was twenty-four.
Il saw Sammatoo Mckenzie by the
lake." he began.
The girl drew the mask over her
face again.
"Sammattoo is a fine fellow" he
went on-"the best moosehunter on
Ostachegan creek. He killed twenty
seven last fall and kept the whole
tribe in meat and leather. In the
winter he took 500 lynx besides other
fur"
There were lines about the girls
mouth that ought to have suggested
caution, but at that moment Mahk so
W0u tOV W0Il ACut wv tWUtA paS&SoN
with himself to give due heed.
"And Sammattoo IL the best boat
man and all-round trlpper> above the
Crossing. He could make good money
Just as q guide. A good-looking fell
low. too. Clean-liinbed and sound,
and a good head on him."
"You pull sammattoo out of the big
Tiver when the ice was running two
years ago?" she asked abruptly. Him
sure drown?"
"Yes." said Mahk-so. what of it?"
She shrugged with true savage
hardihood. "Sammattoo can drown
for me-" she said. II got no use for
i'm. Sammattoo look scare by me
and talk YER sof'. Him feel very
sorry when act bed by him. not
want to live in q woman's tepee. 1
marry a man"'
"Rubbishw cried Mahk.so. You
don't know one when you see himw