Porportuk knew that he played with fire， and he resolvedto play firmly. “Then I speak to you， not as El-Soo， but asa dog，” he said； “and I tell you to come with me.” He halfreached to grip her arm， but with a gesture she held him back.
“Not so fast， Porportuk. You buy a dog. The dog runsaway. It is your loss. I am your dog. What if I run away？”
“As the owner of the dog， I shall beat you—”
“When you catch me？”
“When I catch you.”
“Then catch me.”
He reached swiftly for her， but she eluded him. Shelaughed as she circled around the table. “Catch her！”
Porportuk commanded the Indian with the rifle， whostood near to her. But as the Indian stretched forth hisarm to her， the Eldorado king felled him with a fist blowunder the ear. The rifle clattered to the ground. Then wasAkoon’s chance. His eyes glittered， but he did nothing.
Porportuk was an old man， but his cold nights retainedfor him his activity. He did not circle the table. He cameacross suddenly， over the top of the table. El-Soo wastaken off her guard. She sprang back with a sharp cry ofalarm， and Porportuk would have caught her had it notbeen for Tommy. Tommy’s leg went out， Porportuk trippedand pitched forward on the ground. El-Soo got her start.
“Then catch me，” she laughed over her shoulder， as shefled away.
She ran lightly and easily， but Porportuk ran swiftly andsavagely. He outran her. In his youth he had been swiftestof all the young men. But El-Soo dodged in a willowy，elusive way. Being in native dress， her feet were notcluttered with skirts， and her pliant body curved a flightthat defied the gripping fingers of Porportuk.
With laughter and tumult， the great crowd scattered outto see the chase. It led through the Indian encampment；and ever dodging， circling， and reversing， El-Soo andPorportuk appeared and disappeared among the tents.
El-Soo seemed to balance herself against the air with herarms， now one side， now on the other， and sometimesher body， too， leaned out upon the air far from theperpendicular as she achieved her sharpest curves. AndPorportuk， always a leap behind， or a leap this side or that，like a lean hound strained after her.
They crossed the open ground beyond the encampmentand disappeared in the forest. Tana-naw Station waitedtheir reappearance， and long and vainly it waited.
In the meantime Akoon ate and slept， and lingered muchat the steamboat landing， deaf to the rising resentmentof Tana-naw Station in that he did nothing. Twenty-fourhours later Porportuk returned. He was tired and savage.
He spoke to no one but Akoon， and with him tried to picka quarrel. But Akoon shrugged his shoulders and walkedaway. Porportuk did not waste time. He outfitted half adozen of the young men， selecting the best trackers andtravellers， and at their head plunged into the forest.
Next day the steamer Seattle， bound up river， pulled into the shore and wooded up. When the lines were cast offand she churned out from the bank， Akoon was on boardin the pilot-house. Not many hours afterward， when it washis turn at the wheel， he saw a small birchbark canoe putoff from the shore. There was only one person in it. Hestudied it carefully， put the wheel over， and slowed down.
The captain entered the pilot-house. “What’s thematter？” he demanded. “The water’s good.”
Akoon grunted. He saw a larger canoe leaving the bank，and in it were a number of persons. As the Seattle lostheadway， he put the wheel over some more.
The captain fumed. “It’s only a squaw，” he protested.
Akoon did not grunt. He was all eyes for the squaw andthe pursuing canoe. In the latter six paddles were flashing，while the squaw paddled slowly.
“You’ll be aground，” the captain protested， seizing thewheel.
But Akoon countered his strength on the wheel and lookedhim in the eyes. The captain slowly released the spokes.
“Queer beggar，” he sniffed to himself.
Akoon held the Seattle on the edge of the shoal waterand waited till he saw the squaw’s fingers clutch theforward rail. Then he signalled for full speed ahead andground the wheel over. The large canoe was very near， butthe gap between it and the steamer was widening.
The squaw laughed and leaned over the rail.
“Then catch me， Porportuk！” she cried.
Akoon left the steamer at Fort Yukon. He outfitted asmall poling-boat and went up the Porcupine River. Andwith him went El-Soo. It was a weary journey， and theway led across the backbone of the world； but Akoon hadtravelled it before. When they came to the head-waters ofthe Porcupine， they left the boat and went on foot acrossthe Rocky Mountains.
Akoon greatly liked to walk behind El-Soo and watchthe movements of her. There was a music in it that heloved. And especially he loved the well-rounded calves intheir sheaths of soft-tanned leather， the slim ankles， andthe small moccasined feet that were tireless through thelongest days.
“You are light as air，” he said， looking up at her. “It isno labour for you to walk. You almost float， so lightly doyour feet rise and fall. You are like a deer， El-Soo； you arelike a deer， and your eyes are like deer’s eyes， sometimeswhen you look at me， or when you hear a quick sound andwonder if it be danger that stirs. Your eyes are like a deer’seyes now as you look at me.”
And El-Soo， luminous and melting， bent and kissedAkoon.
“When we reach the Mackenzie， we will not delay，”
Akoon said later. “We will go south before the wintercatches us. We will go to the sunlands where there is nosnow. But we will return. I have seen much of the world，and there is no land like Alaska， no sun like our sun， andthe snow is good after the long summer.”
“And you will learn to read，” said El-Soo.
And Akoon said， “I will surely learn to read.” But therewas delay when they reached the Mackenzie. They fell inwith a band of Mackenzie Indians， and， hunting， Akoonwas shot by accident. The rifle was in the hands of ayouth. The bullet broke Akoon’s right arm and， rangingfarther， broke two of his ribs. Akoon knew rough surgery，while El-Soo had learned some refinements at Holy Cross.
