Part 2 (2/2)
he called to her; then, shading his eyes elaborately, he cried, in a great voice: ”Wall! wal! I b'lieve dat's M'sieu Jean an' Maone I don' know deled at this delicious flattery and dug their tiny moccasined toes into the sand Molly courtesied nervously and continuously as she clung to her ap where two front teeth had been and was now filled by a very pink tongue
”Wen you goin' stop grow, anyhow, you two, eh?” continued the Frenchman, and then, in a tone of sadness: ”If I t'ink you ack lak'
dis, I don' buy all dese present Dese t'ing ain' no good for ole folks I guess I'll t'row dem away” He made as if to heave a bundle that he carried into the river, whereupon the children shrieked at hi and incontinently at the success of his sally
Lieutenant Burrell had come with the others, for the arrival of a steamboat called for the presence of every soul in ca Necia in the outskirts of the crowd, he took his place beside her He felt constrained, after what had happened on the previous evening, but she seereeted him with her usual frankness Even had she re he could say in explanation or in apology He had lain awake for hours thinking of her, and had fallen asleep with her still in his mind, for the revelation of her blood had come as a shock to him, the full force of which he could not appreciate until he had given hi from a race of Slave-holders, fro, where a drop of iht of this girl's ignoble parentage was so repugnant to him that the more he pondered it theawake and thinking of her in the stillness of his quarters, it had see his ain, and his constant contee in his attitude towards the girl, of which he was uncolad to see she did not perceive
”There are some of the luckyout certain people on the deck ”They are going out to the States to get so like those mines have ever been heard of in the world I wish father had gone up last year when the news came”
”Why didn't he?” asked the Lieutenant ”Surely hethe first to learn of it”
”Yes 'Stick' George sent hio last fall, when he made the first discovery, but for so off the boat now, and through the crowd ca in the hollow of each arrew brighter at sight of Necia, and he broke into a flood of patois; they fairly bomentary answers till she remembered her co the newcoot my manners Lieutenant Burrell, this is Napoleon Doret--our Poleon!” she added, with proud emphasis
Doret checked his volubility and stared at the soldier, whom he appeared to see for the first time The little brown people in his arms stared likewise, and it seemed to Burrell that a certain distrust was in each of the three pairs of eyes, only in those of the man there was no shyness Instead, the Canadian looked hi to note each point of the unfalance:
”Were'bouts you live, eh?”
”I live at the post yonder,” said the Lieutenant
”Wat biznesse you work at?”
”I am a soldier”
”Wat for you cohtin' roun' dis place”
”The Lieutenant has been stationed here, foolish,” said Necia ”Come up to the store quick and tell me what it's like at Dawson” With a farewell nod to Burrell, she went off with Doret, whose speech was iain
In spite of the man's unfriendliness, Burrell watched him with admiration There were no heels to his tufted fur boots, and yet he stood a good six feet two, as straight as a pine sapling, and it needed no second glance to tell of what metal he was made His spirit showed in his whole body, in the set of his head, and, above all, in his dark, warerness when he talked, and that was ever--when he was not singing
”I never see so”She's jus' lak' beeg city--mus' be t'ree, four t'ousan' people Every day so an' drink w'iskee
Ba gosh, dat's fine place!”
”Are there lots of white woirl
”Yes, two, t'ree hondred Mos' of deal I see, naette I tell you 'bout her by-an'-by”
”Oh, Poleon, you're in love!” cried Necia