he table edge and leaned forward
heavily. It was much as though he were setting himself to shoulder by
sheer weight through the discouraging wall of indifference behind which
the other was apparently withdrawing once more.

"But as for me," his high voice rang a little, "but as for me--well, I
always did pride myself that I could shoot some, whether it was by
daylight or dark!"

And the only result which that statement achieved was an answering,
meditative nod. Fat Joe subsided. All that he could say had been said,
and they finished breakfast as they had begun it, in absolute silence.
But when Steve, with a word, halted him in the doorway as Joe was on the
point of returning to the work in the valley, the latter turned to find
the slow smile which he knew so well hovering upon the younger man's
lips. He fairly gulped in his sudden relief.

"Joe," Stephen O'Mara began, and the words were suspiciously unsteady for
those of a man who was bearing up bravely under a hidden sorrow, "Joe,
you've missed your calling, I'm afraid. As a naturalist you might have
scored an instant and sensational success, in spite of the fact that you
are neither bow-spectacled nor--er--gangling, as no doubt Mr. Devereau's
reference to you has this morning made plain."

He stopped to touch a match to the dry grains of tobacco which he had
been tamping into the bowl of his pipe; he swung slowly around toward the
inert figure on the bunk. When he spoke again the thread of raillery was
gone from his voice.

"He'll sleep the day through, I think," he said, "and the night, perhaps.
But I'd advise you to look in on him now and then, just the same. He did
us a good turn last night. It's the second good turn he's done for me,
Joe. And now perhaps the chance has come to even up the score a little.
You would know, wouldn't you, Joe, just how many drinks to prescribe for
a man who has been as--as ill as Garry has?"

Fat Joe's face commenced to shine, and at that he was only beginning to
understand.

"Ain't I the doctor?" he demanded aggrievedly. "You don't have to go no
deeper into technicalities with me. And I told you last night, anyway,
didn't I, that it would have to be his last little celebration, unless he
was figurin' on a longer journey than he's ever took before. Well, I've
handled so many cases just like his that there ain't even a little
enjoyable novelty in 'em any more for me."

Steve received the statement with another nod.