"With my own eyes I saw, at Nulato, before the gates of the great
fort, and but few days gone. I saw the Russian, Ivan, who thrust
out my father's eyes, lay the lash of his dog-whip upon thee and
beat thee like a dog. This I saw, and knew thee for a coward. But
I saw thee not, that night, when all thy people - yea, even the
boys not yet hunters - fell upon the Russians and slew them all."
"Not Ivan," said Negore, quietly. "Even now is he on our heels,
and with him many Russians fresh up from the sea."
Oona made no effort to hide her surprise and chagrin that Ivan was
not dead, but went on:
"In the day I saw thee a coward; in the night, when all men fought,
even the boys not yet hunters, I saw thee not and knew thee doubly
a coward."
"Thou art done? All done?" Negore asked.
She nodded her head and looked at him askance, as though astonished
that he should have aught to say.
"Know then that Negore is no coward," he said; and his speech was
very low and quiet. "Know that when I was yet a boy I journeyed
alone down to the place where the Yukon drowns itself in the Great
Fog Sea.
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