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Mac, Salmon P. Hardy, and the frost-bitten Schiff were waked, bright and early Christmas morning, by the Boy's screaming with laughter. The Colonel looked down over the bunk's side, and the men on the buffalo-skin looked up, and they all saw Kaviak sitting in bed, holding in one hand an empty muckluck by the toe, and in the other a half-eaten raw potato.
"She no want you," whispered Muckluck to the Boy. "She like Joe like him best of all." Then, as the Boy gaped incredulously: "She tell me heap long time ago she want Joe." "That's just part of the weddin' festivity," says the Colonel, as renewed shrieks issued from under the snow. "You've been an officious interferer, and I think the sooner I get you out o' Pymeut the healthier it'll be for you."
Muckluck gaped, sat down a minute, and rocked her body back and forth with hidden face, got up and called sharply: "Skookum!" They took the trail for town. Potts said, when he passed them, they were going as if the devil were at their heels wouldn't even stop to say how the Colonel was. So Potts had come to see for himself and to bring the Colonel some letters just arrived.
Once in a while there are even three " "All at the same time!" Her horror turned into shrieks of laughter. "Why, your women are like our dogs! Human beings and seals never have more than one at a time!" The old man in the corner began to moan and mutter feverishly. Nicholas went to him, bent down, and apparently tried to soothe him. Muckluck gathered up the supper-things and set them aside.
"But, see here: I can't send you off like this. You might die on the trail." "Yes, I think me die," she agreed. "No, don't do that. Come back, and we'll tell the Colonel you're going to stay by the fire till morning, and then go home." She walked steadily on. "No, I go now." "But you can't, Muckluck. You can't find the trail." "I tell you before, I not like your girls.
She dropped her jaw, and stared. "No fight a little?" she gasped. "No scream quite small?" "No, I tell you." He ran on and joined the Colonel. Muckluck stood several moments rooted in amazement. Yagorsha had called the rest of the Pymeuts out, for these queer guests of theirs were evidently going at last. They all said "Goo'-bye" with great goodwill.
Men stood in shirt-sleeves at their cabin doors in the unwinking sunshine, looking up the valley or down, betting that the "first boat in" would be one of those nearest neighbours, May West or Muckluck, coming up from Woodworth; others as ready to back heavily their opinion that the first blast of the steam whistle would come down on the flood from Circle or from Dawson.
"Nicholas 'fraid, too," she whispered, "when the devil talks." "The devil?" "Yes. Sh! You hear?" The delirious chatter went on, rising to a scream. Nicholas came hurrying back to the fire with a look of terror in his face. "Me go get Shamán." "No; he come soon." Muckluck clung to him. They both crouched down by the fire. "You 'fraid he'll die before the Shamán gets here?"
"Down from Dawson?" asked the bartender hurrying forward, a magnificent creature in a check waistcoat, shirt-sleeves, four-in-hand tie, and a diamond pin. "No, t'other way about. Up from the Lower River." "Oh! May West or Muckluck crew? Anyhow, I guess you got a thirst on you," said the man in the mackinaws. "Come and licker up."
The Boy was too flabbergasted to reply, but he was far from convinced. The Colonel turned back to apologise to Yagorsha. "No like this in your country?" inquired Muckluck of the crestfallen champion. "N-no not exactly." "When you like girl what you do?" "Tell her so," muttered the Boy mechanically. "Well Joe been tellin' Anna all winter." "And she hated him." "No. She like Joe best of any."
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