These queer bipeds made no effort to retaliate.

The one he had bitten hopped up and down on one foot in a most unaccountable manner for a minute or so, while the other sat down on a boulder and rocked back and forth, with his hands on his stomach, and made a queer, uproarious noise with his mouth wide open.

Then the other stopped his hopping and also made that queer noise.
It was anything but laughter to Muskwa.

But it impinged upon him the truth of one of two things: either these grotesque looking monsters did not dare to fight him, or they were very peaceful and had no intention of harming him.

But they were more cautious thereafter, and as soon as they reached the valley they carried him between them, strung on a rifle-barrel.
It was almost dark when they approached a clump of balsams red with the glow of a fire.