It seems that he was expectin' an attack from some people anxious
to jump the claims, thereby gettin' the mill standin' on the
property. The feller that hired Billy as watchman promised him
everything and forgot it. Billy was almighty faithful but
hot-tempered'

"'Think of it!' says he to me. 'I gets word two days ago that the
gang is comin' to hop me, and old man Davis ain't even sent me a
rifle, like he agreed. What does he expect? Does he have
illusions that when they come squirtin' lead at me I'm goin' to peg
at 'em with snowballs?'

"Then he laid back, fightin' for breath, and kickin' out with his
legs till I loosened his collar. It was a terrible strain, bein'
watchman of a mill under them conditions, with a disposition like
this. I pitched in to make him feel better. After I'd narrated
some incidents that went to make up livin' with Mrs. Scraggs he
chirped up considerable. 'Well, sir! This _is_ a gay world, ain't
it?' says he. 'I wisht I could offer you something to drown your
sorrers in, Zeke, but unless you happen to have brought along the
makings of a flowing bowl we can't put an end to 'em at this ranch.'

"Well, now, that was sorrerful tidin's. I reckon William took
notice of my face--Christmas Eve, alone on top of a God-forsaken
mountain and not a smell of anything to make the sun rise in our
souls--oh, murder!

"'I feel awful bad about this, Zeke,' says he.

"'Don't mention it,' says I as soon's I could tune my pipes to a