The king shook his head and refused to meet Tommy’spleading eye. In the meantime Akoon had edged closeto Porportuk. El-Soo’s quick eye noted this， and， whileTommy wrestled with the Eldorado king for another bid，she bent， and spoke in a low voice in the ear of a slave.
And while Tommy’s “Going—going—going—” dominatedthe air， the slave went up to Akoon and spoke in a lowvoice in his ear. Akoon made no sign that he had heard，though El-Soo watched him anxiously.
“Gone！” Tommy’s voice rang out. “To Porportuk， fortwenty-six thousand dollars.”
Porportuk glanced uneasily at Akoon. All eyes werecentred upon Akoon， but he did nothing.
“Let the scales be brought，” said El-Soo.
“I shall make payment at my house，” said Porportuk.
“Let the scales be brought，” El-Soo repeated. “Paymentshall be made here where all can see.”
So the gold scales were brought from the trading post，while Porportuk went away and came back with a man athis heels， on whose shoulders was a weight of gold-dustin moose-hide sacks. Also， at Porportuk’s back， walkedanother man with a rifle， who had eyes only for Akoon.
“Here are the notes and mortgages，” said Porportuk， “forfifteen thousand nine hundred and sixty-seven dollars andseventy-five cents.”
El-Soo received them into her hands and said to Tommy，“Let them be reckoned as sixteen thousand.”
“There remains ten thousand dollars to be paid in gold，”
Tommy said.
Porportuk nodded， and untied the mouths of the sacks.
El-Soo， standing at the edge of the bank， tore the papersto shreds and sent them fluttering out over the Yukon.
The weighing began， but halted.
“Of course， at seventeen dollars，” Porportuk had said toTommy， as he adjusted the scales.
“At sixteen dollars，” El-Soo said sharply.
“It is the custom of all the land to reckon gold at seventeendollars for each ounce，” Porportuk replied. “And this is abusiness transaction.”
El-Soo laughed. “It is a new custom，” she said. “It beganthis spring. Last year， and the years before， it was sixteendollars an ounce. When my father’s debt was made， it wassixteen dollars. When he spent at the store the money hegot from you， for one ounce he was given sixteen dollars’
worth of flour， not seventeen. Wherefore， shall you pay forme at sixteen， and not at seventeen.” Porportuk gruntedand allowed the weighing to proceed.
“Weigh it in three piles， Tommy，” she said. “A thousanddollars here， three thousand here， and here six thousand.”
It was slow work， and， while the weighing went on，Akoon was closely watched by all.
“He but waits till the money is paid，” one said； and theword went around and was accepted， and they waited forwhat Akoon should do when the money was paid. AndPorportuk’s man with the rifle waited and watched Akoon.
The weighing was finished， and the gold-dust lay on thetable in three dark-yellow heaps. “There is a debt of myfather to the Company for three thousand dollars，” saidEl-Soo. “Take it， Tommy， for the Company. And here arefour old men， Tommy. You know them. And here is onethousand dollars. Take it， and see that the old men arenever hungry and never without tobacco.”
Tommy scooped the gold into separate sacks. Sixthousand dollars remained on the table. El-Soo thrust thescoop into the heap， and with a sudden turn whirled thecontents out and down to the Yukon in a golden shower.
Porportuk seized her wrist as she thrust the scoop asecond time into the heap.
“It is mine，” she said calmly. Porportuk released hisgrip， but he gritted his teeth and scowled darkly as shecontinued to scoop the gold into the river till none wasleft.
The crowd had eyes for naught but Akoon， and the rifleof Porportuk’s man lay across the hollow of his arm， themuzzle directed at Akoon a yard away， the man’s thumb onthe hammer. But Akoon did nothing.
“Make out the bill of sale，” Porportuk said grimly.
And Tommy made out the till of sale， wherein all rightand title in the woman El-Soo was vested in the manPorportuk. El-Soo signed the document， and Porportukfolded it and put it away in his pouch. Suddenly his eyesflashed， and in sudden speech he addressed El-Soo.
“But it was not your father’s debt，” he said， “What Ipaid was the price for you. Your sale is business of to-dayand not of last year and the years before. The ounces paidfor you will buy at the post to-day seventeen dollars offlour， and not sixteen. I have lost a dollar on each ounce. Ihave lost six hundred and twenty-five dollars.”
El-Soo thought for a moment， and saw the error she hadmade. She smiled， and then she laughed.
“You are right，” she laughed， “I made a mistake. But it istoo late. You have paid， and the gold is gone. You did notthink quick. It is your loss. Your wit is slow these days，Porportuk. You are getting old.”
He did not answer. He glanced uneasily at Akoon， andwas reassured. His lips tightened， and a hint of cruelty cameinto his face. “Come，” he said， “we will go to my house.”
“Do you remember the two things I told you in thespring？” El-Soo asked， making no movement to accompanyhim.
“My head would be full with the things women say， did Iheed them，” he answered.
“I told you that you would be paid，” El-Soo went oncarefully. “And I told you that I would never be your wife.”
“But that was before the bill of sale.” Porportuk crackledthe paper between his fingers inside the pouch. “I havebought you before all the world. You belong to me. Youwill not deny that you belong to me.”
“I belong to you，” El-Soo said steadily.
“I own you.”
“You own me.”
Porportuk’s voice rose slightly and triumphantly. “As adog， I own you.”
“As a dog you own me，” El-Soo continued calmly. “But，Porportuk， you forget the thing I told you. Had any otherman bought me， I should have been that man’s wife. Ishould have been a good wife to that man. Such was mywill. But my will with you was that I should never be yourwife. Wherefore， I am your dog.”
