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Updated: June 22, 2025
"Negore, the Coward," he heard Illiha, a young woman, laugh, and Sun-ne, his sister's daughter, laughed with her. Black anger ate at his heart; but he gave no sign, threading his way among the camp-fires until he came to one where sat an old man. A young woman was kneading with skilful fingers the tired muscles of his legs.
It was a long climb, and they could not go fast; but very fast to Negore they seemed to approach the midway point where top was no less near than bottom. A gun cracked among the rocks to the right, and Negore heard the war-yell of all his tribe, and for an instant saw the rocks and bushes bristle alive with his kinfolk.
But Ivan, who had once been shown the way by Old Kinoos, and had found that way to lead through the white water and a deadly fight, believed no more in anything. So when they came to a passage up the rocks, he halted his forty men, and through Karduk demanded if the way were clear. Negore looked at it shortly and carelessly.
"When thou hast shown the way, Negore," she chided him; but her eyes were soft, and warm, and he knew she looked upon him as woman had never looked before. "It is well," he said, turning resolutely on his heel. "I go now to make talk with the chiefs, so that they may know I am gone to show the Russians the way."
She arose with catlike ease and suddenness to her full height, her eyes flashing, her nostrils quivering like a deer's. "I was thy woman to be, Negore, but thou art a coward; the daughter of Old Kinoos mates not with a coward!" She silenced him with an imperious gesture as he strove to speak. "Old Kinoos and I came among you from a strange land.
"Oh, Negore, my man! my man!" she said to herself, as she watched him go, but she said it so softly that even Old Kinoos did not hear, and his ears were over keen, what of his blindness. Three days later, having with craft ill-concealed his hiding-place, Negore was dragged forth like a rat and brought before Ivan "Ivan the Terrible" he was known by the men who marched at his back.
Again Ivan spoke to Karduk, and Karduk said: "Know, strange brother, if thy talk be not straight, and if thy people block the way and fall upon Ivan and his men, that thou shalt die, and at once." "My talk is straight," Negore said. "The way is clear." Still Ivan doubted, and ordered two of his Slavonian hunters to go up alone. Two other men he ordered to the side of Negore.
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."
"It is not a good name," Old Kinoos chuckled. "Thou dost not understand, Kinoos," Negore said gently. "But I shall make thee understand. Know that I was away on the hunt of the bear, with Kamo-tah, my mother's son. And Kamo-tah fought with a great bear. We had no meat for three days, and Kamo-tah was not strong of arm nor swift of foot.
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