The Strange One, whom Malemute Kid had surnamed
Ulysses, still fascinated him; but his interest chiefly
gravitated between Axel Gunderson and Axel Gunderson's wife. She
felt the day's journey, for she had softened in comfortable
cabins during the many days since her husband mastered the wealth
of frozen pay streaks, and she was tired. She rested against his
great breast like a slender flower against a wall, replying
lazily to Malemute Kid's good-natured banter, and stirring
Prince's blood strangely with an occasional sweep of her deep,
dark eyes. For Prince was a man, and healthy, and had seen few
women in many months. And she was older than he, and an Indian
besides. But she was different from all native wives he had met:
she had traveled--had been in his country among others, he
gathered from the conversation; and she knew most of the things
the women of his own race knew, and much more that it was not in
the nature of things for them to know. She could make a meal of
sun-dried fish or a bed in the snow; yet she teased them with
tantalizing details of many-course dinners, and caused strange
internal dissensions to arise at the mention of various quondam
dishes which they had well-nigh forgotten.
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