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The Son of the Wolf Be Would a Wooing Go to Win Him an Indian Bride By JACK LONDON ; Copyright by Jack London -t. AN rarely places a prop er valuation upon his wom ankind, at least not until deprived of them. He has no conception of the subtle atmosphere exhaled by the sex feminine so long as he bathes in It; but let it be withdrawn, and an ever-growing void begins to manifest itself in his existence, and he becomes hungry, in a vague sort of way, for a something so indefinite that he cannot characterize it. If his comrades have no more experience than himself, they will shake their heads dubiously and dose him with strong physic. But the hunger will continue and become stronger; he will lose Interest In the things of his every-day life and wax morbid; and one day, when the empti ness has become unbearable, a revela tion will dawn upon him. In the Yukon country, when this comes to pass, the man usually pro visions a poling boat, if it be summer, and if winter harnesses his dogs, and heads for the Southland. A few months later, supposing him to be pos sessed of a faith in the country, he returns with a wife to share with him in that faith, and Incidentally in his hardships. This But serves to show the innate selfishness of man. It also brings us to the trouble of "Scruff" Mackenzie, which occurred in the old days, before the country was stamped ed and staked by a tidal wave of che cha-quas, and when the Klondike's only claim to notice was its salmon fisheries. Scruff Mackenzie bore £he earmarks of a frontier birth and a'frontier life. His face was stamped with twenty-five years of incessant struggle with na ture in her wildest moods, the last two, the wildest and hardest of all, having been spent In groping for the gold which lies in the shadow of the Arctic Circle. When the yearning sickness came upon him he was not surprised, for he was a practical man and had seen other men thus stricken. But he showed no sign of his malady, save that he worked harder. All sum mer he fought mosquitoes and washed the sure-thing bars of the Stuart river for a double grub-stake. Then he floated a raft of house-logs down the Yukon to Forty Mile, and put together as comfortable a cabin as any the camp could boast of. In fact, it showed such cozy promise that many men elected to be his partner and to come and live with him. But he crushed their aspirations with rough speech, peculiar for its strength and brevity, and bought a double supply of grub from the trading-post. He was a sturdy traveler, and his wolf-dogs could work harder and trav el farther on less grub than any other team in the Yukon. Three weeks later he strode Into a hunting camp of the Upper Tanana Sticks. They mar veled at his temerity; for they had a bad name and had been known to kill white men for as trifling a thing as a sharp ax or a broken rifle. But he went among them single-handed, his bearing being a delicious composite of humility, familiarity, sang-froid, and insolence. It required a left hand and deep knowledge of the barbaric mind effectually to handle such diverse weapons; but he was a past master In the art, knowing when to conciliate and when to threaten with Jove-like wrath. He first made obeisance to the Chief Thllng-Tinneh, presenting him with a couple of pounds of black tea and to bacco, and thereby winning his most cordial regard. Then he mingled with the men and maidens, and that night gave a potlach. The snow was beaten down in the form of an oblong, per haps a hundred feet in length and quarter as many across. Down the center a long fire was built, while either side was carpeted with spruce boughs. The lodges were forsaken, and the fivescore or so members of the tribe gave tongue to their folk chants in honor of their guests. Scruff Mackenzie's two years had taught him the not many hun dred words of their vocabulary, and he had likewise conquered their deep gutturals, their Jap anese Idioms, constructions, and hon orific and agglutinative particles. So he made oration after their manner, . satisfying their instinctive poetry-love with crude flights of eloquence and metaphorical contortions. After Thllng-Tinneh and the Shaman had responded in kind, he made trilling presents to the menfolk, Joined in their singing, and proved an expert In thelr flfty-two-stick gambling game. It was slow work and a stiff game; but Scruff Mackenzie maneuvered cunningly, with an unconcern which served to puzzle the Sticks. He took great care to Impress the men that he was n sure shot uud a mighty hunt er, and the camp rang with his plaudits when he brought down a moose at six hundred yards. Of u night he visited in Chief Thllng-Tinneh's lodge of moose and cariboo skins, talking big and dispensing tolmcco with a lavish hand. Nor did he fall to likewise honor the Shaman; for he realized the II M medicine man's Influence with his peo ple, and was anxious to make of him an ally. But that worthy was high and mighty, refused to be propitiated, and was unerringly marked down as a prospective enemy. Though no opening presented for an interview with Zarlnska, Mackenzie Btole many a glance to her, giving fair warning of his Intent And well she knew, yet coqgettlshly surrounded her self with a,ring of women whenever the men were aw^y and he had a chance. But he was in no hurry; be sides, he knew she could not help but think of him, and a few days of such thought would only better his suit At last one night, when he deemed the time to be ripe, he abruptly left the chief's smoky dwelling* and hast ened to a neighboring lodge. As usual, she sat with squaws and maidens about her, all engaged in sewing moccasins and beadwork. They laughed at his entrance, and badinage, which linked Zarlnska to him, ran high. But one after the other they were unceremoni ously bundled Into the outer snow, whence they hurried to spread the tale through all the camp. His cause was well pleaded, In her tongue, for she did not know his, and at the end of two hours he rose to go. "So Zarlnska will come to the white man's lodge? Good! I go now to have talk with thy father, for he may not be so minded. And I will give him mpny tokens; but he must not ask toe much. Ifhesayno? Good! Zarlnska shall yet come to the white man's lodge." He had already lifted the skin flap to depart, when a low exclamation brought him back to the girl's side. She brought herself to her knees on the bearskin mat, her face aglow with true Eve-light, and shyly unbuckeled his heavy belt. He looked down, per plexed, suspicious, his ears alert for the slightest sound without. But her next move disarmed his doubt, and he smiled with pleasure. She took from her sewing-bag a moosehlde sheath, brave with bright beadwork, fantastic ally designed. She drew his great hunting knife, gazed reverently along the keen edge, half tempted to try It with her thumb, and shot It into place In its new home. Then she slipped the sheath along the belt to its customary resting-place, just above the hip. For all the world, it was like a scene of olden tiite—a lady and her knight. Mackenzie drew her up full height and swept her red lips with his mustache— the, to her, foreign caress of the wolf. It was a meeting of the stone age and the steel. There was a thrill of excitement in the air as Scruff Mackenzie, a bulky bundle under his arm, threw open the flap of Thllng-Tinneh's tent. Children were running about In the open, drag ging dry wood to the scene of the potlach, a babble of womeo's voices was growing In tensity, the young men were consulting In sullen groups, while from the Shaman's lodge rose the eerie sounds of an incantation. The chief was alone with his blear eyed wife, but a glance sufficed to tell Mackenzie that the news was already old. So he plunged at once Into the business, shifting the beaded sheath prominently to the fore as advertise ment of the betrothal. "O Thllng-Tinneh, mighty chief of the Sticks and the land^f the Tanana, ruler of the salmon and the bear, the moose and the cariboo! The white man Is before thee with a great pur pose. Many moons has his lodge been empty, and he is lonely. And his heart has eaten Itself in silence, and grown hungry for a woman to sit beside him In his lodge, to meet him from the hunt with warm fire and good food. He has heard strange things, the patter of baby moccasins and tbe sound of children's voices. And one night a vision came upon him, and he beheld the raven, who is thy father, the great raven, who is the father of all the Sticks. And the raven spake to the lonely white man, saying; "Bind thou thy moccasins upon thee, and gird thy snowshoes on, and lash thy sled with food for many slqpps and ^ne tokens for the Chief Thllng-Tinneh. For thou shalt turn thy face to where the mld 'spring sun is wont to sink below the land, and Journey to this great chiefs hunting grounds. There thou shalt make big presents, and Thllng-Tinneh, who is my son, shall become to thee as a father. In his lodge there is a maiden into whom I breathed the breath of life for thee. This maiden shalt thou take to wife.' "O chief, thus spake the great raven; thus do I lay many presents at thy feet; thus and I come to take thy daughter 1" The old man drew his furs about him with crude consciousness of royalty, but delayed reply while a youngster crept In, delivered a quick message to appear before the council, and was gone. ■ "O white man, whom we have named moose-killer, also known as the wolf, and the son of the wolf! We know thou comest of a mighty race; we are proud to have thee our potlach guest; but the king-salmon does not mate with the dog-salmon, nor the raven with the wolf." "Not so!" cried Mackenzie. "The daughter of the raven have I met in the camps of the wolf—the squaw of Mortimer, the squaw of Tregidgo, the squaw of Barnaby, who came two ice runs back, and I have heard of other squaws, though my eyes beheld them not" "Son, your words are true; but it were evil mating, like the water with the sand, like the snowflake with the sun. But met you one Mason and his squaw? No? He came ten Ice-runs ago—the first of all the wolves. And with him there was a mighty man, straight as a willow-shoot, and tall; ; strong as the bald-faced grizzly, with a j heart like the full summer moon; ' '' "— | "Oh!" interrupted Mackenzie, recog nlzing the well-known northland fig ure—"Malemute Kid 1" j "The same—a mighty man. But saw I you aught to the squaw? She was full sister to Zarlnska." "Nay, chief; but I have heard, Ma son—far, far to the north, a spruce tree, heavy with years, crushed out his life beneath. But his love was great, and he had much gold. With this, and her boy, she Journeyed countless sleeps toward the winter's noonday sun, and there she yet lives—no biting frost, no snow, no summer's midnight sun, no winter's noonday night." A second messenger interrupted with Imperative summons from the council, As Mackenzie threw him into the snow, he caught a glimpse of the sway ing forms before the council fire, heard the deep basses of the men In rhythmic chant, and knew the Shaman was fan ning with anger of his people. Time pressed. He turned upon the chief. "Come! I wish thy child. And now See! here are tobacco, tea, many cups of sugar, warm blankets, handker chiefs, both good and large; and here, a true rifle, with many bullets and much powder." "Nay," replied the old man, strug gllng against the great wealth spread before him. "Even now are my people come together. They will not have this marriage." "But thou art chief." "Yet do my young men rage because his I i I - I l-t / 'A \ f Wrn §im 0 s \ •r 9 * <//!)/ : % sfZ/VS.V w ' t \1 i it i / W.; w wm s\ % Ql ?»5 y tyj m 8 g§ as (/ m 3 i <• r Is / y/i m m W - a vh(t*ri Swayed a Moment and Pitched Forward. the wolves have taken their maidens so that they may not marry." "Listen, O Thllng-Tinneh! Ere the night has passed into the day, the Wolf shall face his dogs to the mountains of the east and fare forth to the country to the Yukon. And Zarlnska shall break trail for his dogs." "And ere the night has gained its middle, my young men may fling to the dogs the flesh of the wolf, and bis bones be scattered In the snow till the springtime lay them bare." It was threat and counter-threat Mackenzie's bronzed face flushed dark ly. He raised his voice. The old squaw, who till now had sat an impas sive spectator, made to creep by him for the door. The song of tbe men broke suddenly, and there was a hub bub of many voices as he whirled the old woman roughly to her couch of skins. "Again I cry—listen, O Thling-Tin nehl The wolf dies with teeth fast locked, and with him there shall sleep ten of thy strongest men—men who are needed, for the hunting Is but be gun, and the fishing is not many moons away. And again, of what profit should I die? I know the custom of fhy peo ple; thy share of my wealth shall be very small. Grant me thy child, and it shall all be thine. And yet again, my brothers will come, and they are many, and their maws are never filled; and the daughters of the raven shall bear children in the lodges of the wolf. My people are greater than thy people. It is destiny. Grant, and all this wealth is thine." Moccasins were crunching the snow without. Mackenzie threw his rifle to cock, and loosened the twin colts in bis belt. "Grant, 0 chief I" "And yet will my people Bay no." "Grant, and the wealth la thine, Then shall I deal with thy people after." "The Wolf will have It so. I will take his tokens—but I would warn him." Mackenzie passed over the goods, taking care to clog, the rifle's ejector, and capping the bargain with a kaleidoscopic silk kerchief. The Sha man and half a dozen young braves entered, but he shouldered boldly among them and passed out "Pack!" was his laconic greeting to Zarlnska as he passed her lodge and hurried to harness his dogs. A few minutes later he Swept into the coun c n a t the head of the team the woman by his side. He took his place at the ypper end of the oblong, by the side 0 f the chief. To his left, a step to the rear> he stationed Zarlnska—her prop er pi ac e. Besides, the time was ripe f 0T mischief, and there was need to guard his back. The singing and dancing ceased, and the gh am an flared up in rude' elo-! quence. Through the sinuosities of t belr vast mythology, he worked cun-1 n i n gjy upon the credulity of his peo p i e- xhe case was strong. Opposing the ' creative principles as embodied in t b e crow an) j the raven, he stigmatized Mackenzie as the wolf, the fighting an( j the destructive principle. "Ay, my brothers, Jelchs Is all-pow-1 e r! Did he not bring heaven-bom fire that we might be warm? Did he not draw the sun, moon and stars from t helr holes that we might see? Did he not teach us that we might fight the spirits of famine and of frost? But now jelchs is angry with his children, an( j they are grown to a handful, and n e w m not help. For they have for gotten him, and done evil things, and trod bad trails, and taken his enemies j n to their lodges to sit by their fires, And the raven Is sorrowful at the wickedness of his children; but when they shall rise up and show they have come back, he will come out of the darkness to aid them. O brothers! the flre-brlnger has whispered messages to thy shaman; the same shall ye hear, Let the young men take the young women to their lodges; let them fly a t the throat of the wolf; let them be undying In their enmity! Then shall their women become fruitful, and they shall multiply Into a mighty people! And the raven shall lead great tribes of their fathers and thelr fathers' fa rthers from out of the North; and they shall beat back the wolves till they ^ire as last year's campfires; and they shall again come to rule over all the land 1 'Tls the message of Jelchs, the raven." This foreshadowing of the Messiah's coming brought a hoarse howl from the Sticks as they leaped to thelr feet. Mackenzie slipped the thumbs of his mittens, and waited. There was a clamor for the Fox, not to be stilled till one of the young men stepped for ward to speak. "Brothers! The Shaman has spok en wisely. The wolves have taken our women, and. our men are childless. We are grown to a handful. Tbe wolves have taken our warm furs and given for them evil spirits which dwell in bottles, and clothes which come not from the beaver or the lynx, but are made from the grass. And they are not warm, and our men die of strange sicknesses. I, the Fox, have taken no woman to wife; and why? Twice have the maidens which pleased me gone to the camjlp of the Wolf. Even now I have laid by skins of the beaver, of the moose, of the cariboo, that I might win favor In the eyes of Thling-Tin neh, that I might marry Zarlnska, his daughter. Even now are her snow shoes bound to her feet, ready to break trail for the dogs of the Wolf. Nor do I speak for myself alone. As I have done, so has the bear. He, too, had fain been the father of her children, and many skins has he cured there to. I speak for all the young men who know not wives. The wolves are ever hungry. Always do they take the choice meat at the killing. To the ravens are left the leavings. "There Is Gugkla 1" he cried, bru tally pointing out one of the women, who was a cripple. "Her legs are bent like the ribs of a birch canoe. She cannot gather wood nor carry the meat of the hunters. Did the wolves choose her?" ( "A11 al 1" vociferated his tribesmen, "There Is Moyri, whose eyes are crossed by the evil spirit. Even the babes are affrighted when they gaze upon her, and it is said the bald-face gives her the trail. Was she chosen?" Again the cruel applause rang out. "And there sits Pischet. She does not hearken to my words. Never has she heard the cry of the chit-chat, the voice of her husband, the babble of her child. She lives in the white silence, Cared the wolves aught for her? No! Thelfs Is the choice of the kill; ours the leavings. I "Brothers, it shall not be 1 No more j shall the wolves slink among our camp fires. The time is come." A great streamer of fire, the aurora . borealis, purple, green and yellow, shot "cross the zenith, bridging horizon to horizon. With head thrown back and arms extended, be swayed to his climax. f ! "Behold! The spirits of our fathers have arisen and great deeds are afoot I this night!" He stepped back, and another young man somewhat diffidently came for | ward, pushed on by his comrades. He towered a full head above them, his | broad chest defiantly bared to the frost. He swung tentatively from one foot to the other. Words halted upon his tongue, and he was 111 at ease. His \ face was horrible to look upon, for It j had at one time been half torn away by some terrific blow. At last he struck his breast with his clenched fist, draw i lng sound fls from a drum, and his voice rumbled, forth as the surf from ; an ocean cavern. | "I am the Bear—the Silver-Tip and the Son of the Silver-Tip! When my ! voice was yet as a girl's, I slew the lynx, the moose, and the cariboo; when it whistled like the wolverines from under a cache, I crossed the Mountains ' of the South and slew three of the White Rivers; when It became as the roar of the Chinook, I met the bald faced grizzly, but gave no trail." At this he paused, his hand signifi cantly sweeping across his hideous scars. "I am not as the Fox. My tongue Is i frozen like the river. I cannot make ! great talk. My words are few. The Fox says great deeds are afoot this night. Good! Talk flows from his tongue like the freshets of the spring, but he Is chary of deeds. This night shall I do battle with the Wolf. I shall slay him, and Zarlnska shall sit by my fire. The Bear has spoken." Though pandemonium raged about him, Scruff Mackenzie held his ground. I "Brothers! The White Man, whom | ye have chosen to call the Wolf, came | among you with fair words. He was j not like the Innult; he spoke not lies. He came as a friend, as one who would be a brother. But your men have had their say, and the time for soft words is past. First, I will tell you that the Shaman has an evil tongue and is a 1 false prophet, that the messages he spake are not those of the Fire-Brtng ! er. His ears are locked to the voice of the raven, and out of his own head he weaves cunning fancies, and he has made fools of you. He has no power. When the dogs were killed and eaten, and your stomachs were heavy with untanned hide and strips of moccasins; when the old men died, and the old women died, and the babes at the dry dugs of the mothers died; when the land was dark, and ye perished as do the salmon In the fall; ay, when the famine was upon you, did the Shaman bring reward to your hunters? the Shaman put meat In your bellies? Again I say, the Shaman Is.without power. Thus! I spit upoq hirface!" Though taken aback bjr the sacri lege, there was no uproar. Some of the women were even frightened, but among the men there was an uplifting, as though In preparation or anticipa tion of the miracle. All eyes were turned upon the two central figures. The priest realized the crucial mo ment, felt his power tottering, opened his mouth in denunciation, but fled backward before the truculent advance, upraised fist, and flashing eyes of Mackenzie. He sneered and resumed. "Was I stricken dead? Did the light ning burn me? Did the stars fall from the sky and crush me? Pish 1 I have done with the dog. Now will I tell you of my people, who are the mightiest of all the peoples, who rule In all the lands. At first we hunt as I hunt, alone. After that we hunt In packs; and at last, like the cariboo-run, we sweep across all the land. Those whom we take into our lodges live; those who will not come die. Zarlnska is a come ly maiden, full and strong, fit to be come the mother of wolves. Though I die, such shall she become; for my brothers are many, and they will fol low the scent of my dogs. Listen to the Law of the Wolf: Whoso taketh the life of one Wolf, the forfeit shall ten of his people pay. In many lands has the price been paid; in many lands shall it yet be paid. "Now will I deal with the Fox and the Bear. It seems they have cast eyes upon the maiden. So? Behold, I have bought her! Thllng-Tinneh leans up on the rifle; the goods of purchase are by his fire. Yet will I be fair to the young men. To the Fox, whose tongue Is dry with my words, will I give of tobacco five long plugs. Thus will his mouth be wetted that he may make much noise In the council. But to the Bear, of whom I am well proud, will I give of blankets two; of flour, twenty cups; of tobacco, double that of the 'Fox; and If he fare with me over the Mountains of the East, then will I give him a rifle, mate to Thllng-Tlnneh's. I Did jf not j Oo«d! The Wolf la weary at speech. Yet once again will he say the law: 'Whoso taketh the life of om Wolf, the forfeit shall ten of his people pay.' a Mackenzie smiled as he stepped back to his old position, but at heart he wa* full of trouble. The night was yet dark; The girl came to his side, and he lis tened closely ns she told of the Bear'S battle-tricks with the knife. The decision was for war. In • t trice, scores of moccasins were widen lng the space of beaten snow by the Are. There was much chatter about the seeming defeat of the Shaman; some averred he had but withheld hi* power, while others conned past event* and agreed with the Wolf. The Bear came to f he center of the battle ground, a long naked huntlng-knlfe of Russian make in his hand. The Fox called attention to Mackenzie's j revolvers; so he stripped his belt, buckling It about Zarlnska, into whose hands he also intrusted his rifle. She shook her head that she could not shoot—small chance had a woman to handle such precious things, "Then, If danger come by my back,' cry aloud, 'My husband I' No; thus, 'My husband!'" He laughed as she repeated it, pinched her cheek and re-entered the", circle. Not only in reach and stature;) had the Bear the advantage of him, but his blade was longer by a good two inches. Scruff Mackenzie had looked into the eyes of men before,'( and he knew it was a man who stood _ ' against him; yet he quickened to the glint of light on the steel, to the dom lnant pulse of his race, Twice he pricked the Bear, getting : away unscathed; but the third time ,. caught, and to save himself, free hands closed on fighting hands, and they came together. Then did he rea- ^ llze tbe tremendous strength of his op- 3 1 ponent. His muscles were knotted in ■ painful lumps, and cords and tendons threatened to snap wltji the strain;* yet nearer and nearer came the Rus- j§ ■ e IS,, sian steel. He tried to break away, but only weakened himself. The fur clad circle closed in, certain of and!, anxious to see the final stroke. But " with wrestler's trick, swinging partly;! to the side, he struck at his adversary* with his head. Involuntarily tin Bear leaned back, disturbing his cen ter of gravity. Simultaneous with this, Mackenzie tripped properly and threw his whole weight forward, huri«B lng him clear through the circle into the deep snow. The Bear floundered' ;';, out and came back full tilt. "Oh, my husband 1" Zarlnska's voice . rang out, vibrant with danger. To the twang of a bow-striag, Mac kenzie swept low to the ground,, and a 4 bone-barbed arrow passed over hlnS| into the breast of the Bear, whose mo mentum carried him ovei; his crouch*; lng foe. The next instant Mackenzl iwas up and about. The Bear lay m ( ___ tlonless, but across the fire was the Shaman, drawing a second arrow. Mackenzie's knife leaped short in . the air. He caught the heavy blade by the point There was a flash of light as it spanned the fire. Then the Sha man, the hilt alone appearing without his throat, swayed a moment and pitched forward Into the glowing em- i bers. Click 1 click!—the Fox had pos sessed himself of Thllng-Tlnneh's rifle and was vainly trying to throw a shell into place. Bu|he dropped it at the sound pf Mackenzie's laughter. "So the Fox has not learned the way of the plaything? He is yet a woman. Come! Bring it, that I may show thee!" The Fox hesitated. "Come, I say-" He slouched forward like a beaten cur. . ■ r) "Thus, and thus; so the thing is done. A shell flew into place and the A trigger was at cock as Mackenzie .? brought it to shoulder. "The Fox has said great deeds were afoot this night, and he spoke true. There have been great deeds, yet least among them were those of the ! Fox. Is he still intent to take Zarln ska to his lodge? Is he minded to tread the trail already broken by the j Shaman and the Bear? No? Good I'' | Mackenzie turned contemptuous^ J and drew his knife from the priest's jj throat. | "Are any of the young men so mind- .' f ed? if so, the Wolf will take them by two and three till none are left. NejM Good. Thllng-Tinneh, I now give thrf# J 1 this rifle a second time. If in the day* j to come thou shouldst journey to the country of the Yukon, know thou that there shall always be a place and much food by the fire of the Wolf. The night Is now passing into the day. I go, but I may come again. And for the last time, remember the Law Oft the Wolf!" 1 Ki He was supernatural in their sight as he rejoined Zarlnska. She took her place at the head of the team, and the dogs swung into motion. A few mo ments later they were swallowed np by the ghostly forest TUI now Mac- ; kenzle had waited; he slopped into his j snowshoes to follow. "Has the Wolf forgotten the fl long plugs?" Mackenzie turned upon the Fox an grily; then the humor of it struck him. "I will give thee one short plug." "As the Wolf sees fit," meekly re sponded the Fox, stretching out his hand. The Heart and Reason. The heart has reasons which the rea son does not know. It is the heart that feels God, not the reason. The primary truths are not demonstrable^ and yet our knowledge of them is none the less certain. Principles are felt, ^ propositions are proved. Truths may be above reason and yet not cnnty»y to reason. II I 1 'I