“Yes, I’ve sometimes suspected that us Mormons was almost human beings,” grunted Elijah as he pulled on his mackinaw.

Doug’s cracked lips managed a shadow of his old whimsical smile.  Mrs. Nelson heaped his plate and filled his cup with scalding coffee.  Then she shooed the children to bed in the next room and, returning, looked down at Douglas half tenderly.

“She’s a splendid big thing, that girl of yours.  If I was a man I’d be plumb crazy about her.  Has to be something fine in a girl to go crazy mad, just the way she was.  It wasn’t all about your father.  It had heaped up for years.  Though undoubtedly it was your father started her off this weather.”

Elijah came in and sat down to his interrupted meal.  “Good horses you’ve got,” he said.  “But you’ve worked them hard.”

“Will you sell me some oats?” asked Douglas.

Elijah nodded.  “I’ll fix you up.  Do you know how to get to the Pass?”

“No; I’ve never crossed, even in summer.”

“Well, I can direct you, though I’ve never made it myself in winter.  After you get over the Pass and into the Basin it will be easy going and you can get fodder there.  A Mormon friend of mine is in the Basin this winter with sheep.  I told Judith that and exactly how to get there.”

“Was she in bad trim?” asked Douglas abruptly.

“No.  A little used up for lack of sleep, that was all,” replied Elijah.

Mrs. Nelson suddenly chuckled.  “My, she was mad!  It did me good to see her.”

Her husband looked at her curiously.  “How was that, Ma?”

“It’s the way I’ve wanted to feel, lots of times,” said Mrs. Nelson.  “Go on with your directions, Pa.  You wouldn’t understand in a hundred years.”

Elijah snorted, then went on.  “There’s no trail.  But if you reach the summit, get a line on a bare patch in the middle of the basin, that’s the lake, and the highest peak across the basin.  It’s got the mark of a big cross on it.  You can’t miss it.  If you keep on this line, it will bring you out at Bowdin’s sheep ranch.  I don’t know whether the snows are as bad on the other side of Black Devil as they are on this.  Johnson’s Basin drops down to about three thousand feet elevation and there’s not enough snow in the basin itself to stop sheep grazing.  But the climb down is something awful, even in summer.  Ma, you put up a bundle of grub.”

“I’ve got grub for a week, thanks!” exclaimed Douglas.  Then he asked Elijah, hesitatingly, “Will you tell me why you are so kind to me?”

“As I said, it’s my religion.”

Douglas stared at his host’s kindly face.  “I’m dog sorry,” he said, “for what I called you.  But, how was I to know?  I’ve been brought up to hate Mormons.”

Elijah nodded.  “I guess we’re square.  What kind of a man is Fowler?”

“I like him.  But I don’t know whether he’s the man for the job I set him, or not.  But he’s going to stay,” lips tightening.  “I’ll see to that!  Have you always been a Mormon, Mr. Nelson?”