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