Akoon， lying helpless， had rifle and knife taken fromhim， and to either side of his shoulders sat young menof the Mackenzies. The one-eyed old man arose andstood upright. “We marvel at the price paid for onemere woman，” he began； “but the wisdom of the price isno concern of ours. We are here to give judgment， andjudgment we give. We have no doubt. It is known to allthat Porportuk paid a heavy price for the woman El-Soo.
Wherefore does the woman El-Soo belong to Porportukand none other.” He sat down heavily， and coughed. Theold men nodded and coughed.
“I will kill you，” Akoon cried in English.
Porportuk smiled and stood up. “You have given truejudgment，” he said to the council， “and my young men willgive to you much tobacco. Now let the woman be broughtto me.”
Akoon gritted his teeth. The young men took El-Soo bythe arms. She did not resist， and was led， her face a sullenflame， to Porportuk.
“Sit there at my feet till I have made my talk，” hecommanded. He paused a moment. “It is true，” he said， “Iam an old man. Yet can I understand the ways of youth.
The fire has not all gone out of me. Yet am I no longeryoung， nor am I minded to run these old legs of minethrough all the years that remain to me. El-Soo can runfast and well. She is a deer. This I know， for I have seenand run after her. It is not good that a wife should run sofast. I paid for her a heavy price， yet does she run awayfrom me. Akoon paid no price at all， yet does she run tohim.
“When I came among you people of the Mackenzie， Iwas of one mind. As I listened in the council and thoughtof the swift legs of El-Soo， I was of many minds. Now amI of one mind again but it is a different mind from the oneI brought to the council. Let me tell you my mind. Whena dog runs once away from a master， it will run away again.
No matter how many times it is brought back， each timeit will run away again. When we have such dogs， we sellthem. El- Soo is like a dog that runs away. I will sell her. Isthere any man of the council that will buy？”
The old men coughed and remained silent
“Akoon would buy，” Porportuk went on， “but he has nomoney. 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 heracross the space to where Akoon lay on his back.
“She has a bad habit， Akoon，” he said， seating her atAkoon’s feet. “As she has run away from me in the past， inthe days to come she may run away from you. But there isno need to fear that she will ever run away， Akoon. I shallsee to that. Never will she run away from you—this is theword of Porportuk. She has great wit. I know， for oftenhas it bitten into me. Yet am I minded myself to give mywit play for once. And by my wit will I secure her to you，Akoon.”
Stooping， Porportuk crossed El-Soo’s feet， so that theinstep of one lay over that of the other； and then， beforehis purpose could be divined， he discharged his riflethrough the two ankles. As Akoon struggled to rise againstthe weight of the young men， there was heard the crunchof the broken bone rebroken.
“It is just，” said the old men， one to another.
El-Soo made no sound. She sat and looked at hershattered ankles， on which she would never walk again.
“My legs are strong， El-Soo，” Akoon said. “But never willthey bear me away from you.”
El-Soo looked at him， and for the first time in all thetime he had known her， Akoon saw tears in her eyes.
“Your eyes are like deer’s eyes， El-Soo，” he said.
“Is it just？” Porportuk asked， and grinned from the edgeof the smoke as he prepared to depart.
“It is just，” the old men said. And they sat on in thesilence.
