throwin' hot water on Baldy when he went ter the door o' Mart's cabin
lookin' fer me. I think Moose Jones is the best man in the world, an'
about the strongest," volunteered the boy loyally.

"And where's Moose Jones now?" asked "Scotty." "I used to see him
prospecting out near the Dexter Divide last winter."

"He was at Dexter first, an' then he was at Golconda fer a while; but in
spring he went ter St. Michael, an' from there up ter the new strike at
Marshall."

"And you miss him very much?" questioned the Woman.

"Yes, ma'am, I miss him a lot, an' so does Baldy. He was awful good ter
animals an' kids. He had a pet ermine that 'ud come in ter see him every
night in his cabin, an' he wouldn't let Mart an' some o' the fellers set
a trap fer the red mother fox that was prowlin' round the place t' git
somethin' fer her babies. Said he'd make trap-bait fer bears o' the
first feller that tried t' git 'er."

"Excellent idea."

"Oh, he didn't really mean it serious. Why, Moose is so kind he hates
ter kill anythin'--even fer food. Sometimes when he's been livin' on
bacon an' beans fer months, he lets a flock o' young ptarmigan fly by
him 'cause he says they look so soft an' pretty an' fluttery he don't
like ter shoot 'em; an' Moose is a dead shot. He's mighty handy with his
fists too, an' next ter Mr. Allan I guess Moose knows more about dogs
than any man in Alaska; an' he said he'd bet some day there'd be a
reg'lar stampede ter buy Baldy."