hy-haired man
came out of the door, rifle in hand. He might have been going out to
hunt, but his scrutiny of Wade was that of a lone settler in a
wild land.

"Howdy, stranger!" he said.

"Good evenin'," replied Wade. "Reckon you're Blair an' I'm nigh the
headwaters of this river?"

"Yep, a matter of three miles to Trapper's Lake."

"My name's Wade. I'm packin' over to take a job with Bill Belllounds."

"Git down an' come in," returned Blair. "Bill's man stopped with me some
time ago."

"Obliged, I'm sure, but I'll be goin' on," responded Wade. "Do you
happen to have a hunk of deer meat? Game powerful scarce comin' up
this valley."

"Lots of deer an' elk higher up. I chased a bunch of more'n thirty, I
reckon, right out of my pasture this mornin'."

Blair crossed to an open shed near by and returned with half a deer
haunch, which he tied upon Wade's pack-horse.

"My ole woman's ailin'. Do you happen to hev some terbaccer?

"I sure do--both smokin' an' chewin', an' I can spare more chewin'. A
little goes a long ways with me."

"Wal, gimme some of both, most chewin'," replied Blair, with evident
satisfaction.

"You acquainted with Belllounds?" asked Wade, as he handed over the
tobacco.

"Wal, yes, everybody knows Bill. You'd never find a whiter boss in these
hills."

"Has he any family?"

"Now, I can't say as to thet," replied Blair. "I heerd he lost a wife
years ago. Mebbe he married ag'in. But Bill's gittin' along."

"Good day to you, Blair," said Wade, and took up his bridle.

"Good day an' good luck. Take the right-hand trail. Better trot up a
bit, if you want to make camp before dark."

Wade soon entered the spruce forest. Then he came to a shallow, roaring
river. The horses drank the water, foaming white and amber around their
knees, and then with splash and thump they forded it over the slippery
rocks. As they cracked out upon the trail a covey of grouse whirred up
into the low branches of spruce-trees. They were tame.

"That's somethin' like," said Wade. "First birds I've seen this fall.
Reckon I can have stew any day."

He halted his horse and made a move to dismount, but with his eyes on
the grouse he hesitated. "Tame as chickens, an' they sure are pretty."

Then he rode on, leading his pack-horse. The trail was not steep,
although in places it had washed out, thus hindering a steady trot. As
he progressed the forest grew thick and darker, and the fragrance of
pine and spruce filled th