Shorty sat with bulging eyes.  “In the name of the Lord, what is it?” he queried huskily.  “Or are you just simple loco?”

“No, I’m all right.  Perhaps a fellow has to stop eating in order to see things.  At any rate, I have seen things I never dreamed were in the world.  I know what a woman is,—­now.

Shorty’s mouth opened, and about the lips and in the light of the eyes was the whimsical advertisement of the sneer forthcoming.

“Don’t, please,” Smoke said gently.  “You don’t know.  I do.”

Shorty gulped and changed his thought.  “Huh!  I don’t need no hunch to guess her name.  The rest of ’em has gone up to the drainin’ of Surprise Lake, but Joy Gastell allowed she wouldn’t go.  She’s stickin’ around Dawson, waitin’ to see if I come back with you.  An’ she sure swears, if I don’t, she’ll sell her holdin’s an’ hire a army of gun-fighters, an’ go into the Caribou Country an’ knock the everlastin’ stuffin’ outa old Snass an’ his whole gang.  An’ if you’ll hold your horses a couple of shakes, I reckon I’ll get packed up an’ ready to hike along with you.”

*** End of the project gutenberg EBOOK, smoke Bellew ***

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