The old men debated among themselves and mumbled in undertones.  “These old men are ice,” Akoon said in English.  “I will not listen to their judgment, Porportuk.  If you take El-Soo, I will surely kill you.”

The old men ceased and regarded him suspiciously.  “We do not know the speech you make,” one said.

“He but said that he would kill me,” Porportuk volunteered.  “So it were well to take from him his rifle, and to have some of your young men sit by him, that he may not do me hurt.  He is a young man, and what are broken bones to youth!”

Akoon, lying helpless, had rifle and knife taken from him, and to either side of his shoulders sat young men of the Mackenzies.  The one-eyed old man arose and stood upright.  “We marvel at the price paid for one mere woman,” he began; “but the wisdom of the price is no concern of ours.  We are here to give judgment, and judgment we give.  We have no doubt.  It is known to all that Porportuk paid a heavy price for the woman El-Soo.  Wherefore does the woman El-Soo belong to Porportuk and none other.”  He sat down heavily, and coughed.  The old men nodded and coughed.

“I will kill you,” Akoon cried in English.

Porportuk smiled and stood up.  “You have given true judgment,” he said to the council, “and my young men will give to you much tobacco.  Now let the woman be brought to me.”

Akoon gritted his teeth.  The young men took El-Soo by the arms.  She did not resist, and was led, her face a sullen flame, to Porportuk.

“Sit there at my feet till I have made my talk,” he commanded.  He paused a moment.  “It is true,” he said, “I am an old man.  Yet can I understand the ways of youth.  The fire has not all gone out of me.  Yet am I no longer young, nor am I minded to run these old legs of mine through all the years that remain to me.  El-Soo can run fast and well.  She is a deer.  This I know, for I have seen and run after her.  It is not good that a wife should run so fast.  I paid for her a heavy price, yet does she run away from me.  Akoon paid no price at all, yet does she run to him.

“When I came among you people of the Mackenzie, I was of one mind.  As I listened in the council and thought of the swift legs of El-Soo, I was of many minds.  Now am I of one mind again but it is a different mind from the one I brought to the council.  Let me tell you my mind.  When a dog runs once away from a master, it will run away again.  No matter how many times it is brought back, each time it will run away again.  When we have such dogs, we sell them.  El-Soo is like a dog that runs away.  I will sell her.  Is there any man of the council that will buy?”

The old men coughed and remained silent

“Akoon would buy,” Porportuk went on, “but he has no money.  Wherefore I will give El-Soo to him, as he said, without price.  Even now will I give her to him.”

Reaching down, he took El-Soo by the hand and led her across the space to where Akoon lay on his back.