there, under the light, I spied Morrow. In his arms I got glimpses
of black lace and wavy, brown hair, and a white cheek that he was
accomplishing wonders with. They wouldn't have heard a man-hole
explosion.

"'He's still fitting to be my pardner,' I thinks, and then I heard
Struthers's teeth chatter and grind. I looked at him, and the secret
of the whole play came to me.

"Never having known the divine passion, it ain't for me to judge, but
I tightened on his voice-box and whispered:

"'You've outlived your period of usefulness, Struthers, and it's time
to go. Let us part friends, however.' So I bade him Godspeed from
the top step.

"Looking back on the evening now, that adieu was my only mistake. I
limped for a week--he had a bottle in his hip pocket."




THE MULE DRIVER AND THE GARRULOUS MUTE

Bill had finished panning the concentrates from our last clean-up,
and now the silver ball of amalgam sizzled and fried on the shovel
over the little chip-fire, while we smoked in the sun before the
cabin. Removed from the salivating fumes of the quicksilver, we
watched the yellow tint grow and brighten in the heat.