, with several powder-burned adjectives;
"he leaves his mark everywhere he goes. Pity the foolkiller don't git
him."

Tracy had joined the party again just in time to hear Bill's bouquet of
choice epithets.

"Tain't so much coz he means to do anything harmin', but the big brute
is so allfired strong and clumsy that when he sets out to do anything he
busts everything he teches. Why, he went to pitchin' hay off the far
stack and must have thought the fork handle would hold up the whole five
ton, fer he snapped it like a ginger cake just outen the oven. Then he
was helpin' put up logs on the barn. We had the top logs most up on the
skids when she fotched up again' the cross log that the skid was leanin'
again'. He reaches the ax up and sets the blade under the log and pulls
on the handle, and away went my dollar-and-a-half handle. He broke it
square off. Took me nigh onto a week to dress another out. But he's a
good worker. All he needs is a sledge and a big enough drill so he won't
miss the head on't and he can pound that 'til jedgment day if the feller
turnin' the drill keeps a good lookout for his hand from bein' hit when
the Irishman misses the drill."

"I see he left his rifle," remarked Jack.

"Yes; said he didn't want it at the mines, an' he allows he'll come back
afore the range opens to pick out a hundred and sixty acres somewhere in
the Park. Likely as not he'll see you in Georgetown, but yer got some
snow climbin' to do. Thar ain't many goin' out now, and I heerd Bill
Redmon say he'd have to use 'skis' pretty soon and drag the mail on a
sled. When yer goin' out?"

Jack thought a minute or two and then replied:

"I guess I can make it day after tomorrow. That will be the 17th of
January, and I guess 'Red' will bring the pony back and you can feed
both of them for me. By the way, I guess I'll have to snowshoe it in
about beaver-trappin' time. I've got a little business myself down near
the agency."

Tracy and Bill eyed each other quizzically and tried to guess the
mission, but Jack gave them no satisfaction.

"I'll be back here by the middle of April, if not before. Beaver begin
to chew the trees down in early March, don't they?"

"Yes," said Tracy; "but it gets lonesome as all git out before Aprile.
If yer comin' in that soon, why in Christmas don't yer stay now? We've
got grub enough and we can go back in the timber, mebbe so, and ketch a
grizzly or cinnamon about six weeks from now."

"No; can't do