He dropped on his belly, whining, trying to see through the film of blood in his eyes; and lying there, wounded almost unto death, his tail thumped the ground in recognition.  And then, to the amazement of all who beheld, Challoner was down upon his knees beside him, and his arms were about him, and Miki’s lacerated tongue was reaching for his hands, his face, his clothes.

“Miki—­Miki—­Miki!”

Durant’s hand fell heavily upon Challoner’s shoulder.

It was like the touch of a red-hot iron to Challoner.  In a flash he was on his feet, facing him.

“He’s mine,” Challoner cried, trying to hold back his passion.  “He’s mine you—­you devil!”

And then, powerless to hold back his desire for vengeance, his clenched fist swung like a rock to Durant’s heavy jaw, and the Frenchman went to the ground.  For a moment Challoner stood over him, but he did not move.  Fiercely he turned upon Grouse Piet and the crowd.  Miki was cringing at his feet again.  Pointing to him, Challoner cried loudly, so all could hear.

“He’s my dog.  Where this beast got him I don’t know.  But he’s mine.  Look for yourselves!  See—­see him lick my hand.  Would he do that for him?  And look at that ear.  There’s no other ear in all the north cut like that.  I lost him almost a year ago, but I’d know him among ten thousand by that ear.  By God!—­if I had known—­ -”

He elbowed his way through the breeds and Indians, leading Miki by the rope Durant had slipped over the dog’s head.  He went to MacDonnell, and told him what had happened.  He told of the preceding spring, and of the accident in which Miki and the bear cub were lost from his canoe and swept over the waterfall.  After registering his claim against whatever Durant might have to say he went to the shack in which he was staying at Fort 0’ God.

An hour later Challoner sat with Miki’s big head between his two hands, and talked to him.  He had bathed and dressed his wounds, and Miki could see.  His eyes were on his master’s face, and his hard tail thumped the floor.  Both were oblivious of the sounds of the revellers outside; the cries of men, the shouting of boys, the laughter of women, and the incessant barking of dogs.  In Challoner’s eyes there was a soft glow.

“Miki, old boy, you haven’t forgotten a thing—­not a dam’ thing, have you?  You were nothing but an onery-legged pup then, but you didn’t forget!  Remember what I told you, that I was going to take you and the cub down to the Girl?  Do you remember?  The Girl I said was an angel, and ’d love you to death, and all that?  Well, I’m glad something happened—­and you didn’t go.  It wasn’t the same when I got back, an’ she wasn’t the same, Miki.  Lord, she’d got married, and had two kids!  Think of that, old scout—­two!  How the deuce could she have taken care of you and the cub, eh?  And nothing else was the same, Boy.  Three years in God’s Country—­up here where you burst your lungs just for the fun of drinking in air—­changed me a lot, I guess.  Inside a week I wanted to come back, Miki.  Yessir, I was sick to come back.  So I came.  And we’re going to stick now, Miki.  You’re going with me up to that new Post the Company has given me.  From now on we’re pals.  Understand, old scout, we’re pals!”