Some of the men were already departing; others stood in groups, looking on and talking. Tim Keenan joined one of the groups. “Who’s that mug?” he asked. “Weedon Scott,” some one answered. “And who in hell is Weedon Scott?” the faro-dealer demanded. “Oh, one of them crackerjack minin’ experts. He’s in with all the big bugs. If you want to keep out of trouble, you’ll steer clear of him, that’s my talk. He’s all hunky with the officials. The Gold Commissioner’s a special pal of his.” “I thought he must be somebody,” was the faro-dealer’s comment. “That’s why I kept my hands offen him at the start.” CHAPTER V THE INDOMITABLE “It’s hopeless,” Weedon Scott confessed. He sat on the step of his cabin and stared at the dog-musher, who responded with a shrug that was equally hopeless. Together they looked at White Fang at the end of his stretched chain, bristling, snarling, ferocious, straining to get at the sled-dogs. Having received sundry lessons from Matt, said lessons being imparted by means of a club, the sled-dogs had learned to leave White Fang alone; and even then they were lying down at a distance, apparently oblivious of his existence. “It’s a wolf and there’s no taming it,” Weedon Scott announced. “Oh, I don’t know about that,” Matt objected. “Might be a lot of dog in ’m, for all you can tell. But there’s one thing I know sure, an’ that there’s no gettin’ away from.” The dog-musher paused and nodded his head confidentially at Moosehide Mountain. “Well, don’t be a miser with what you know,” Scott said sharply, after waiting a suitable length of time. “Spit it out. What is it?” The dog-musher indicated White Fang with a backward thrust of his thumb. “Wolf or dog, it’s all the same—he’s ben tamed ’ready.” “No!” “I tell you yes, an’ broke to harness. Look close there. D’ye see them marks across the chest?” “You’re right, Matt. He was a sled-dog before Beauty Smith got hold of him.” “And there’s not much reason against his bein’ a sled-dog again.” “What d’ye think?” Scott queried eagerly. Then the hope died down as he added, shaking his head, “We’ve had him two weeks now, and if anything he’s wilder than ever at the present moment.” “Give ’m a chance,” Matt counselled. “Turn ’m loose for a spell.” The other looked at him incredulously. “Yes,” Matt went on, “I know you’ve tried to, but you didn’t take a club.” “You try it then.” The dog-musher secured a club and went over to the chained animal. White Fang watched the club after the manner of a caged lion watching the whip of its trainer. “See ’m keep his eye on that club,” Matt said. “That’s a good sign. He’s no fool. Don’t dast tackle me so long as I got that club handy. He’s not clean crazy, sure.”