“Whereupon Lone Chief leaped up the bank war-club in hand and a great war-cry on his lips, and dashed into the village.  The first man he met was Itwilie, chief over the Mukumuks, and him Lone Chief smote upon the head with his war-club, so that he fell dead upon the ground.  And for fear we might not behold the manner of his death, we too, the five score young men, leaped to the shore and followed Lone Chief into the village.  Only the Mukumuks did not understand, and thought we had come to fight; so their bow-thongs sang and their arrows whistled among us.  Whereat we forgot our errand, and fell upon them with our spears and clubs; and they being unprepared, there was great slaughter—­”

“With my own hands I slew their shaman,” proclaimed Lone Chief, his withered face a-work with memory of that old-time day.  “With my own hands I slew him, who was a greater shaman than Skolka, our own shaman.  And each time I faced a man, I thought, ’Now cometh Death; and each time I slew the man, and Death came not.  It seemed the breath of life was strong in my nostrils and I could not die—­”

“And we followed Lone Chief the length of the village and back again,” continued Mutsak.  “Like a pack of wolves we followed him, back and forth, and here and there, till there were no more Mukumuks left to fight.  Then we gathered together five score men-slaves, and double as many women, and countless children, and we set fire and burned all the houses and lodges, and departed.  And that was the last of the Mukumuks.”

“And that was the last of the Mukumuks,” Lone Chief repeated exultantly.  “And when we came to our own village, the people were amazed at our burden of wealth and slaves, and in that I was still alive they were more amazed.  And my father, the Otter, came trembling with gladness at the things I had done.  For he was an old man, and I the last of his sons.  And all the tried fighting men came, and the crafty and wise, till all the people were gathered together.  And then I arose, and with a voice like thunder, commanded Skolka, the shaman, to stand forth—­”

“Ay, O White Man,” exclaimed Mutsak.  “With a voice like thunder, that made the people shake at the knees and become afraid.”

“And when Skolka had stood forth,” Lone Chief went on, “I said that I was not minded to die.  Also, I said it were not well that disappointment come to the evil spirits that wait beyond the grave.  Wherefore I deemed it fit that the soul of Skolka fare forth into the Unknown, where doubtless it would howl forever in the dark and endless forest.  And then I slew him, as he stood there, in the face of all the people.  Even I, Lone Chief, with my own hands, slew Skolka, the shaman, in the face of all the people.  And when a murmuring arose, I cried aloud—­”

“With a voice like thunder,” prompted Mutsak.