ed best.

"May mean," he said, and then paused--"having to put bullets through
some o' these savage savages, for I'm blest if I'm going to let 'em have
the first shot at us. Yes," he added, "savages; that's what's about
their size. I never see such beasts. Yes, that's what they are--wild
beasts. I don't call such things men. The best of it is, they thinks
they're so precious religious, and sticks theirselves up to pray every
morning and every night, I'm blest!--praying!--and often as not with
their knives and swords! Ugh! and phew! My word! it's warm walking in
these here coats. Wish I hadn't got mine."

Is thought electric, or magnetic, or telepathic, or scientific, some way
or another, that so often it is communicated from one person to another
free of cost, and without a form, or boy to leave it, and wait for an
answer? Certainly it was in that, clear mountain air, which blew softly
among the cedars in the valley, coming off the clear ice and dazzling
snow from one side, getting warmed in hot sunshine, and then rising up
the mighty slopes on the other side, to grow from pure transparency, in
its vast distance and extent, to be of a wonderfully delicious
amethystine blue.

Anyhow, Gedge had no sooner given himself his opinions about the heat
engendered by walking in a thick, sheepskin coat than Bracy said:

"Find the _poshtin_ hot, Gedge?"

"'Ot ain't the word for it, sir," was the reply. "I ain't quite sure
whether it's me, or whether they didn't scrape the fat off proper when
they tanned the skin, sir; but something's running."

"Steady down, then. It is very warm here among the cedars; but they
hide us from the enemy, my lad. As soon as we begin to climb we shall
be getting out of summer into winter; and by the time it's dark, and we
lie down to sleep, we shall think it would be pleasanter if we had two
apiece."

"Shall us, sir? Well, you know, sir; but all this caps me. Here we
are, as you say, in summer, and we've on'y got to climb up one o' them
mountains and there we are in winter. They say it freezes there every
night."

"Quite right, Gedge."

"But all the snow melts away some time in the year?"

"Never, my lad. Up there before you, where the sun shines on those
glorious peaks, it is eternal winter, only that there is so much melting
in the hottest parts of the day."

"To make the rivers, sir?"

"Of course!"

"And the rain helps when they're all in the clouds up there, I suppos