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"Yes, he was the only one of us that didn't bully the kid to-day." "Couldn't go that far, but couldn't own up." "Potts is a cur." "Yes, sah." Then, after an instant's reflection: "But he's a cur that can risk his life to save a kid he don't care a damn for." They went back to Mac, and found him pretty well worn out. The Colonel took his place, but was soon pushed away.
And twisting those bony fingers together he burst once more into that rattling, unhuman laughter which all the Three B's knew so well and dreaded as the dying dread the sight of the circling buzzard above. "Stop laughin'!" cried Mac Strann with sudden anger. "Damn you, stop laughin'!"
"Pervided," he added, "you an' dear ol' Mac promises to stick by the ship." "It's a whack," yelled McGuffey joyfully, and whirling, struck Dan Hicks a mighty blow on the jaw. "Off our ship, you hoodlums." He favoured Jack Flaherty with a hearty thump and swung again on Dan Hicks. "At 'em, Scraggsy.
"I think I'm going out," he said, with his eyes on Barry's face. "What do you think?" It was the time for truth telling. "Oh, Mac, old man," said Barry, putting his head down close to him to hide from him the rush of tears that came to his eyes, "I'm afraid you are, and I hate to have you go." "Why, Barry, you crying for me?" asked McCuaig in a kind of wonder.
Keep your een well doon the coorse, man." He began to swing as if he meant to murder the wee ba', and I strained my een. I heard him strike, and I looked awa' doon the coorse, as he had bid me do. But never hide nor hair o' the ba' did I see. It was awesome. "Hoots, Mac," I said, "ye must ha' hit it an awfu' swipe. I never saw it after you hit it." He was smiling, but no as if he were amused.
The Colonel had "caught on," and was making horrible frowns at the Boy. Potts and O'Flynn looked up, and in dumbshow demanded a share. No? Very well, they'd tell Mac. So the Boy had to feed them, too, to keep them quiet. And still Mac prayed the Lord to catch up this slip he had made here on the Yukon with reference to the natives.
For this was an occasion when you couldn't argue or floor anybody, or hope to make Mac "hoppin' mad," or have the smallest kind of a shindy. The Colonel read the lessons, Mac prayed, and they all sang, particularly O'Flynn.
And they needed money because those scoundrels over on the coast had failed to get in enough whisky for their trade. The girl had almost spoiled their plans by going away with Tara. And he Mac was a devil of a good fellow for bringing her back! They'd pull off the fight to-morrow. If the girl that little bird-devil that belonged to him didn't like it....
She waited tensely for the next sound, but it was long in coming. Presently some one began talking over the telephone in low, guarded tones, and she could not be sure which of the two it was. Then the talking ceased; the hall door of the inner office opened and closed quietly. Nance went to the window and saw Mac emerge from the passage below and hurry across the yard to the stables.
Him heap good coat," he wound up unemotionally, and proceeded to put it on. "And the other white man what became of him?" Nicholas shrugged: "Kaiomi," though it was plain he knew well enough the other lay under the Yukon ice. "And that that was the end of the fellows who went by jeering at us!" "We'd better not crow yet," said Mac.
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