h curiosity to his neighbor.

"It's where they cut off your leg, Sim," said Wid, explaining.

"Oh, well, maybe we'll save his leg," said Dr. Barnes, grinning at
last. "But don't let this occur again, my Christian friend. This will
lay you up for two or three weeks the best way it can happen, in all
likelihood. Well, I'll swab it out and tie it up, and give you some
iodine. Keep it painted. How big do the grayling go up in your
country?"

"I've seen plenty over three pounds," said Sim Gage.

"I don't like to doubt your word, my friend, but if you'll show me one
three-pound grayling, you won't ever owe me anything for fixing up your
leg."

"I sure can, Doc," said Sim Gage. "Grasshoppers is best."

"For you, maybe. If you please, I'll try Queen of the Waters, or
Professor, long-shanked, and about Number 8. And I say again, if
you'll put me up to a three-pound grayling I'll cut off your leg for
nothing any time you want it done!"

"Well, now," said Sim Gage, his forehead puckering up, "I don't want to
put you under no obligations, Doc."

"He won't, neither, Doc," interrupted Wid Gardner, while the surgical
dressing was going forward. "There's holes in there twenty feet deep,
and I've see two or three hundred grayling in there dang near as long
as your arm."

"Ouch, Doc!" remarked Sim Gage, "that yellow stuff smarts."

"It's got to, my man. A couple of days more and you might really have
lost that leg, sure enough. I've seen plenty of legs lost, my man. I
don't think it'll go much further up--I hope not. But blood poisoning
is something bad to have, and I'll tell you that."

"You ain't been in this country long, have you, Doc?" queried Wid
Gardner. "You come on up and go fishing with us fellers. A few weeks
from now it'll be better. I ain't got no woman at my place, but I can
cook some. Sim's got a woman at his."

"What's that?" inquired Dr. Barnes. "Oh, the woman that's waiting?
What do you mean about that?"

"Well," replied his patient, his forehead furrowed, "that is, we ain't
rightly married yet. Just sort of studying things over, you know, Doc.
We're waiting for--well, until things kind of shapes up. You
understand, Doc?"

"I don't know that I do," said the Doctor, looking at him straightly.
"You understand one thing--there can't any funny business go on in this
valley now. The administration's mighty keen. You know that."

"There ain't, Doc. She's my housekeeper. I'd ask you i