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At the appointed hour of six the simple-minded Indians emerged from their various lodges and filed silently toward Perdue's store. Here they squatted on the floor, with their backs to the wall, awaiting proceedings. A number of miners entered and stood or sat chatting with one another, apparently unconscious of the dusky figures in their midst.
The dogs were tired as they drew near the village, with their master trudging wearily behind, urging them on with words of encouragement. The trail ran close by Perdue's store, and the animals, hearing voices within, paused before the door, while the leader cast a backward glance at the missionary.
The white men came, fifty strong, from the Lower Yukon, built their cabins at Klassan close to the river, and began operations. The work of mining progressed rapidly, and much gold was secured. During the long winter evenings little could be done, so the men gathered at Jim Perdue's place, which was store and saloon combined, to gamble and to drink bad whiskey.
Then Salome saw the lady-superior was even paler and graver than usual; and anxious as the young lady felt to hear the abbess' story, she thought she would give her more time to recover, and even assist her in doing so, by diverting her thoughts to the new incident of the ring, which she produced and laid upon the mother's lap, saying: "That was found by me in the bosom of little Marie Perdue's dress.
Simply greeting the missionary with "Hello!" he perched himself upon a small table and gazed around the room. "Good morning," replied Keith, pausing in the act of nailing a leg to a rickety bench. "How's the neck?" "First class; all healed up. My! it feels good in here, for it's mighty cold outside." "Better than Perdue's store?" "Perdue's store be blowed! No more of that for me."
Here comes Alf." The son was a young fellow of good size, shapely, and with his mother's black eyes. Guinea introduced me to him, and at once I felt that I should like to win his friendship. The old man explained my presence there. "And now," said he, "I want you to go over to old Perdue's with him after dinner and see if any arrangements can be made.
That same night a very different scene was being enacted in Perdue's store. Cards and drinks formed the order of the evening. "Ding, dong. Ding, dong. Ding, dong," sounded out the little bell. "D n that bell!" cried Bill Pritchen, a stranger, bringing his fist down upon the table with a bang. "I wonder you men stand it."
Why, yander you go already," he added, pointing to a wagon load of lumber drawn along the road. "It's Perdue's wagon. Yander comes another one, with Ren Bowles, the carpenter, on board. Oh, they are goin' to rush things.
"They started to plow this morning, but it is still most too wet." "Was Millie at home?" Guinea asked. "I think so, but I suppose you know that Chid isn't." "Never mind that," the old man spoke up. "Leave all cuttin' and slashin' to folks that ain't no kin to each other. You've been to dinner, have you, Alf? Well, hitch the mare to the buckboard and go with this gentleman over to old Perdue's."
The only response he received was the man wheeling square around, and bawling full into his face: "And for bonnie Annie Laurie, I'll lay me doon an' dee." "Curse you all!" he cried. "You confounded idiots!" and in a rage he left the building and started for Perdue's store. The sound of the last verse followed him into the darkness, and then silence. He stopped and listened.
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