Having written he unlaced his boot on the right foot, folded the paper, and thrust it into the bootleg.  Then, relacing the shoe, he arose and journeyed blithely on.

IX

On arriving in Snowy Gulch, Ben’s first efforts were to inquire in regard to horses.  Both pack and saddle animals, he learned, were to be hired of Sandy McClurg, the owner of the general store and leading citizen of the village; and at once he made his way to confer with him.

“Most of my mustangs are rented out,” the merchant informed him when they met in the rear of the general store, “but if you can get along with three, I guess I can fix you up.  You can pack two of ’em, and ride the third.”

“Good enough,” Ben agreed.  “And after I once get in, I’d like to turn back two of them, and maybe all three—­to save the hire and the bother of taking care of them.  I suppose, after the fashion of cayuses, they’ll leg it right home.”

“Just a little faster than a dog.  Horses don’t much care to grub their food out of them spruce forests.  They’re good plugs, so of course I don’t want to rent ’em to any one who’ll abuse ’em, or take ’em on too hard trips.  Where are you heading, if the question’s fair?”

“Through Spruce Pass and down into the Yuga River.”

“Prospecting, eh?  There’s been quite a movement down that way lately, considering it never was anything but a pocket country.  By starting early you can make it through in a day.  And you said your name was—­”

“Darby.  Ben Darby.”

The merchant opened his eyes.  “Not the Ben Darby that took all the prizes at the meet at Lodge Pole—­”

Ben’s rugged face lit with the brilliancy of his smile.  “The same Darby,” he admitted.

“Well, well!  I hope you’ll excuse them remarks about abusing the horses.  If I had known who you was, ‘Wolf’ Darby, I’d have known you knew how to take care of cayuses.  Take ’em for as long as you want, or where you want.  And when did you say you was going?”

“First thing to-morrow.”

“Well, you’re pretty likely to have companionship on the road, too.  There is another party that is going up that way either to-morrow or the day after.  Pretty lucky for you.”

“I’m glad of it, if he isn’t a tenderfoot.  That must be a pretty thickly settled region—­where I’m heading.”

“On the contrary, there’s only three human beings in the whole district—­and there’s a thousand of square miles back of it without even one.  These three are some men that went up that way prospecting some time ago, and this other party will make four.”  He paused, smiling.  “Yes, I think you will enjoy this trip to-morrow, after you see who it is.  I’d enjoy it, and I’m thirty years older than you are.”

Ben’s thought was elsewhere, and he only half heard.  “All right—­I’ll be here before dawn to-morrow and get the horses.  And now will you tell me—­where Steve Morris lives?  I’ve got some business with him.”