From the north, east, west, and south the post's fur-rangers
trailed back. Life was resumed. There was a softness in the air, a
growing warmth in the midday sun. The days of the big change were
near. And when they came, John Cummins and Jan Thoreau, of all the
factor's people, wore patches at their knee.
CHAPTER VI
DAYS OF TRIUMPH
One afternoon, in the beginning of the mush-snow, a long team of
rakish Malemutes, driven by an Athabasca French-Canadian, raced wildly
into the clearing about the post. A series of yells, and the wild
cracking of a thirty-foot caribou-gut whip, announced that the big
change was at hand--that the wilderness was awakening, and life was
drawing near.
The entire post rushed out to meet the new-comer--men and dogs, the
little black-and-tan children, and even Williams' fat and lethargic
wife. For a few moments there was a scene of wild disorder, of
fighting Malemutes buried under a rush of angry huskies, while men
shouted, and the yelling Frenchman leaped about and cut his caribou-
gut in vicious slashes over the wolfish horde around his heavily laden
sledge.
Partial order being restored, Mukee and Per-ee took charge of the
snarling Malemutes, and, surrounded by Williams' men, the trapper
stalked to the company's office.
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