rom the clinging arms of the chef,
sniffed suspiciously and wiped away the tears from his vest. "Well,
say," he bellowed in his usual manner of trying to make all Chouteau
County hear what he had to say, "I ain't t' blame if he got away on
yuh. Yuh hadn't ought to uh done it--or else yuh oughta made a clean
job of it sos't we could hang yuh proper. Supper ready?"

"It is that the supply of eggs is inadequate," wept Jakie, steadying
himself against the tent-pole while he wiped his eyes upon his apron.
"Because of it I could not prepare the floating island--and without
the dessert I have not the heart to prepare the dinner, yes? It is
that I am breaking of the heart that I assail the good friend of me.
Oh, Mr. Happy, it is that I crave pardon!"

Happy Jack came near taking to his heels again when he saw Jakie start
for him; he did back up hastily, and his evident reluctance to embrace
and forgive started afresh the tears of remorse. Jakie wailed volubly
and, catching Pink unaware, he wept upon his bosom.

Others came riding in, saw the huddle before the mess-tent and came up
to investigate. With every fresh arrival Jakie began anew his
confession that he had attempted to murder his good friend, Mr. Happy,
and with every confession he wept more copiously than before.

The Happy Family tacitly owned itself helpless. A warlike cook they
could deal with. A lazy cook they could kick into industry. A weeping,
wailing, conscience-stricken cook, a cook who steadfastly refused to
be comforted, was an absolutely new experience. They told him to buck
up, found that he only broke out anew, threatened, cajoled and argued.
Jakie clung to whoever happened to be within reach and mixed the
English language unmercifully.

"Happy, you'll have to forgive him," said Weary at last. "Go tell him
yuh don't feel hard towards him. We want some supper."

"Aw, gwan. I _ain't_ forgive him, and I never will. I--"

Big Medicine stepped into the breach. With his face contorted into a
grin to crimple one's spine, with a voice to make one's knees buckle,
he went up to Happy Jack and thrust that horrible grin into Happy's
very face. "By cripes, you forgive Jakie, and you do it quick!" he
thundered. "Think you're going to ball up the eating uh the whole
outfit whilst you stand around acting haughty? Why, by cripes, I've
killed men in the Coconino County for _half_ what you're doing! You'll
wish, by cripes, that Jakie _had_ slit your hide; you'll cons