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"How was I to know that what the white man does yesterday he will not do to-day, and that what he does to-day he will not do to-morrow?" Ebbits shook his head sadly. "There is no understanding the white man. Yesterday he takes Yamikan to the land under the sun and makes him fat with much grub. To-day he takes Bidarshik and what does he do with Bidarshik?
And so I come back from Cambell Fort, and no payment has been made, and Moklan is dead, and in my old age I am without fish and meat." "Because of the white man," said Zilla. "Because of the white man," Ebbits concurred. "And other things because of the white man. There was Bidarshik.
That is the law, and it is a good law. It is not good to steal, wherefore it is the law that the man who steals must die. Whoso breaks the law must suffer hurt. It is a great hurt to die." "But if you kill the man, why do you not kill the dog?" I asked. Old Ebbits looked at me in childlike wonder, while Zilla sneered openly at the absurdity of my question.
"When Yamikan is in this country where there is no snow," old Ebbits continued, "he is taken to large house where many men make much talk. Long time men talk. Also many questions do they ask Yamikan. By and by they tell Yamikan he have no more trouble. Yamikan does not understand, for never has he had any trouble. All the time have they given him warm place to sleep and plenty grub.
"But after that they give him much better grub, and they give him money, and they take him many places in white man's country, and he see many strange things which are beyond the understanding of Ebbits, who is an old man and has not journeyed far. After two years, Yamikan comes back to this village, and he is head man, and very wise until he dies.
"Why are you all alone in the village?" I asked. "Is everybody dead? Has there been a great sickness? Are you alone left of the living?" Old Ebbits shook his head, saying: "Nay, there has been no great sickness. The village has gone away to hunt meat. We be too old, our legs are not strong, nor can our backs carry the burdens of camp and trail.
Let me tell you what he does with Bidarshik. "I, Ebbits, his father, will tell you. He takes Bidarshik to Cambell Fort, and he ties a rope around his neck, so, and, when his feet are no more on the ground, he dies." "Ai! ai!" wailed Zilla. "And never does he cross the lake large as the sky, nor see the land under the sun where there is no snow."
Zilla demanded. "Thy father was brave man," Ebbits acknowledged, with the air of one who will keep peace in the house at any cost. "Moklan is thy son and mine, wherefore he is brave. Mayhap, because of thy very brave father, Moklan is too brave. It is like when too much water is put in the pot it spills over. So too much bravery is put into Moklan, and the bravery spills over.
"And always did he return to sit by the fire and hunger for yet other and unknown far places." "And always did he remember the salt lake as big as the sky and the country under the sun where there is no snow," quoth Zilla. "And always did he say, 'When I have the full strength of a man, I will go and see for myself if the talk of Yamikan be true talk," said Ebbits.
Nor would I have stopped there had my dogs been less tired or had the rest of the village been inhabited. But this cabin alone had I found occupied, and in this cabin, perforce, I took my shelter. Old Ebbits now and again pulled his tangled wits together, and hints and sparkles of intelligence came and went in his eyes.
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