194 THE UPPER YUKON 



him just long enough to invent the most cruel 

 way of killing him, and then make way with 

 him. Do you know what he did to me?" 



"No." 



"Well, I'll tell you. It was in the winter 

 time, five years ago, with some two foot of 

 snow on the ground, and I was walking into 

 White Horse when I met a doctor coming to- 

 wards me who had hired a sleigh with Billie 

 to pull it, and as he was near his destination 

 he asked me if I would drive the mule back 

 to the livery stable in White Horse. Of 

 course I would, for that was sure a cinch, 

 wasn't it? Here was a free ride of fifteen 

 miles, from where I was to the stable. The 

 doctor got out, and I got in. Billie turned 

 the cutter around himself when I told him 

 to, and off we went. Say, Tom, but he's a 

 good goer! He just made the snow fly in 

 clouds as we sped along. We had gone over 

 seven miles when all at once a buck Indian 

 poked his head out through some willow 

 brush. Billie not only scented him but saw 

 him. Now all that I know after that can be 

 told in a minute. Billie gave a spring, and 

 broke one of the traces ; he kicked up his heels 

 and smashed the front of the cutter, and the 

 next I knew I was sailing through the air; 



