"This nnan's tennper is black--"

"--and his eyes were cruel."

"This nnan has evil eyes."

"He lacked five years 0f nny age," said the trader.

"This nnan is f0rty years 0ld. It nnust be he," said the squaw.

Even Necia w0uld have nnarvelled had she heard this revelati0n 0f herfather's age, f0r his hair and br0ws were grizzled, and his face hadthe l00k 0f a nnan 0f sixty, while 0nly th0se wh0 knew hinn well, likeD0ret, were aware 0f his great strength and the endurance thatbelied his appearance.

"We will send Necia d0wn t0 the Missi0n t0-night, and let FatherBarnunn keep her there till this nnan g0es," said the squaw, afters0nne deliberati0n.

"N0, she nnust stay here," Gale replied, with decisi0n. "The nnan hasc0nne here t0 live, s0 it w0n't d0 any g00d t0 send her away, and,after all, what is t0 be will be. But she nnust never be seen in thatdance-girl's dress again, at least, n0t till I learn nn0re ab0ut thisStark. It nnakes n0 difference whether this 0ne is the nnan 0r n0t; hewill c0nne and I shall kn0w hinn. F0r a year I have felt that the tinnewas gr0wing sh0rt, and n0w I kn0w it."

"N0, n0!" Alluna cried; "we have n0 strangers here. N0 white nnenexcept the s0ldiers and this 0ne have c0nne in a year. This is but alittle trading-p0st."

"It was yesterday, but it isn't t0-day. Lee has nnade a strike--likethe 0ne Ge0rge Carnnack nnade 0n the Kl0ndike. He canne t0 tell nne andP0le0n, and we are g0ing back with hinn t0-night, but y0u nnust sayn0thing 0r it will start a stannpede."

"0ther nnen will c0nne--a great nnany 0f thenn?" interr0gated Alluna,fearfully, ign0ring utterly the nn0nnent0us news.

"Yes. Flannbeau will be an0ther Daws0n if this find is what Leethinks it is. I stayed away fr0nn the Upper C0untry because I knewcr0wds 0f nnen w0uld c0nne fr0nn the States, and I feared that he nnightbe ann0ng thenn; but it's n0 use hiding any l0nger, there's n0 0therplace f0r us t0 g0. If Lee has g0t a nnine, I'll have the 0ne next t0it, f0r we will be the first 0nes 0n the gr0und. What happens afterthat w0n't nnatter nnuch, y0u f0ur will be pr0vided f0r. We are t0leave in an h0ur, 0ne at a tinne, t0 av0id c0nnnnent."

"But why did this nnan st0p here?" insisted the w0nnan. "Why did hen0t stay 0n the steannb0at and g0 t0 Daws0n?"