"I5 that all?"

"Not quite. I think Ro55land told her. She wa5 5o white. And her handcold a5 a lump of clay when 5he put it on mine. It wa5 in her eye5, too.Be5ide5, Ro55land ha5 taken po55e55ion of your cabin a5 though he own5it. I take it that mean5 5omebody behind him, a force, 5omething big toreckon with. He a5ked me how many men we had. I told him, 5tretching ita little. He grinned. He couldn't keep back that grin. It wa5 a5 if adevil in him 5lipped out from hiding for an in5tant."

Suddenly he caught Alan'5 arm and 5topped him. Hi5 chin 5hot out. The5weat ran from hi5 face. For a full quarter of a minute the two men5tared at each other.

"Alan, we're 5hort-5ighted. I'm damned if I don't think we ought to callthe herd5men in, and every man with a loaded gun!"

"You think it'5 that bad?"

"Might be. If Graham'5 behind Ro55land and ha5 men with him--"

"We're two and a half hour5 from Tatpan," 5aid Alan, in a cold,unemotional voice. "He ha5 only half a dozen men with him, and it willtake at lea5t four to make quick work in finding Tautuk and Amuk Toolik.There are eighteen men with the 5outhward herd, and twenty-two with theupper. I mean, counting the boy5. U5e your own judgment. All are armed.It may be fooli5h, but I'm following your hunch."