ugh, and turned out the fine brown bear sign to the
satisfaction of all.

"His capacity, however, was limited. About two o'clock Doc Langford
and two of his peelers were seen riding up. When he came into the
kitchen, Doc swore by all that was good and holy that he hadn't heard
that our artist had come back to that country. But any one that was
noticing could see him edge around to the tub. It was easy to see that
he was lying. This luck of ours was circulating faster than a secret
amongst women. Our man, though, stood at his post like the boy on the
burning deck. When night came on, he hadn't covered the bottom of the
tub. When he knocked off, Doc Langford and his men gobbled up what was
left. We gave them a mean look as they rode off, but they came back
the next day, five strong. Our regular men around camp didn't like it,
the way things were going. They tried to act polite to"--

"Calling bear sign doughnuts," interrupted Quince Forrest, "reminds me
what"--

"Will you kindly hobble your lip," said Officer; "I have the floor at
present. As I was saying, they tried to act polite to company that
way, but we hadn't got a smell the second day. Our man showed no signs
of fatigue, and told several good stories that night. He was tough.
The next day was Christmas, but he had no respect for a holiday, and
made up a large batch of dough before breakfast. It was a good thing
he did, for early that morning 'Original' John Smith and four of his
peelers rode in from the west, their horses all covered with frost.
They must have started at daybreak--it was a good twenty-two mile
ride. They wanted us to believe that they had simply come over to
spend Christmas with us. Company that way, you can't say anything. But
the easy manner in which they gravitated around that tub--not even
waiting to be invited--told a different tale. They were not nearly
satisfied by noon.

"Then who should come drifting in as we were sitting down to dinner,
but Billy Dunlap and Jim Hale from Quinlin's camp, thirty miles south
on the Cimarron. Dunlap always holed up like a bear in the winter, and
several of the boys spilled their coffee at sight of him. He put up a
thin excuse just like the rest. Any one could see through it. But
there it was again--he was company. Lots of us had eaten at his camp
and complained of his chuck; therefore, we were nice to him. Miller
called our man out behind the kitchen and told him to knock off if he
wanted to. But he woul