190 THE BIG CANOE

of wrath and anger, filling the huge room with sound,
as the chief looked long and searchingly into the eyes"
of the lad who stood there bravely confronting him,
his tall hat awry, his garments loosened and trailing
upon the ground. Yulan was not joking now. He was
in deadly earnest.

In a thundering voice that rang out clearly, the
chief ordered his warriors to disarm the Niskas, to
open the wide door in the rear wall and seize the
Niska slaves. Even as he spoke, the owl hooted again
—three times and close at hand! That was the signal
for attack, even as Yulan had said.

Instantly the room was filled with the war-cries
of the combatants, with the screams of the women
and children, as the Haida warriors leaped upon their
treacherous guests. Through the new doorway in the
rear, angry Haida warriors rushed out upon the Niska
slaves and upon the Niska warriors advancing from
the forest.

The warriors outside did not know of any exit save
the one low entrance hole in front of the guest house
and they were taken by surprise when the Haidas
came through the door. Back to their canoes beyond
the headland they fled, but many were overtaken and
captured by the infuriated Haidas.

After Klaidak and a remnant of his band had es-
caped, after many captives had been placed under
guard in the guest house, the Haida chief and Yulan’s