A slow irritating grin greeted the announcement. “Oh, you win it did you? Now, that’s curious. My eyesight ain’t so bad, an’ it looked to me like it was Gordon’s dogs that romped over the line first. But, mebbe I was wrong. The other two judges is here. We didn’t take no formal vote on it yet, so we might as well do it now. Hey Crim, who win that race?” “Gordon win it!” answered Crim. “Henshaw, who win that race?” “Gordon did.” “It’s a damn lie!” roared Dalzene. “We’ll talk about that, later,” answered Wilcox in a voice of ominous quiet, “But, in the mean time, the vote of the judges is unanimous that Gordon win the race, _an’_ the bets will be paid accordin’.” “He fouled me, an’ besides, he never brung in all he started with.” “Seems to me I seen ten dogs, an’ a sled, an’ him hangin’ on to it like all hell couldn’t jerk him loose, when the outfit crossed the line ahead of yourn.” “How about his whip that he lost when his sled tipped over?” there was an exultant gleam in the narrowed eyes. “The whip don’t cut no figger,” informed Wilcox, “I stated it plain that sled, dogs, an’ driver had to cross the finish line, an’ they did. An’ as fer the foul, when do you claim he fouled you?” “Right there on the smooth ice! That damn big leader of his’n made a dive fer mine an’ throwed him out of his stride!” Wilcox laughed: “You’d ort to picked out a play that we didn’t all see to claim a foul on, Dalzene. Gordon’s leader wasn’t within fifteen foot of yourn at no time, an’ what’s more your leader never went out of his stride, neither.” Reaching into the safe Wilcox withdrew a packet. “Pete Enright!” he called, loudly, “This belongs to you. It’s the last bet you made. Here’s yer five hundred in dust, an’ yer twenty-five hundred in bills.” “Don’t you pay that bet!” screamed Dalzene, furiously pounding the bar, “You can’t rob me! Fifteen thousan’ dollars of good money gone to hell! You can’t rob me!” Clem Wilcox was a small man, in physical estimate, but what he lacked in weight he more than made up in nerve and agility. Hardly were the words out of Dalzene’s mouth before Wilcox had hurdled the bar and as his two feet struck the floor his fist landed with a vicious twist on the point of Dalzene’s chin. Again Wilcox struck, and again, and clawing feebly at the bar, Dalzene sank slowly to the floor. “You’ve called me a liar an’ a robber,” said Wilcox, quietly, to the man that lay on his back blinking foolishly into his face, “You’ve got my personal answer to that. But likewise you’ve insulted the whole Koyukuk--an’ now you’ll git yer answer to that.” He faced the men who crowded about him. “I’d say, boys, the case calls fer a meetin’.” “A meetin’s right!” “A meetin’!” “Miner’s meetin’! I nominate Wilcox fer chairman!” Wilcox shook his head, and held up his hand for silence: “Not me, boys. We don’t want it said they was anything personal in it. I nominate Pete Enright. All in favor signify.”