Johnny, do your share."

"I ain't going to dig any more," declared the little man. "You all say
I ain't all here, and the part that ain't here is the part that works.
Sabez?"

Everybody laughed.

"And," Johnny went on, seriously, "I ain't sure it's a good idea to plant
'em so deep. It takes a long time to grow up to heaven. It's a gregus far
away place."

"Right you are, Johnny, old man," agreed Peter. "It sure is gregus far
away."

Nobody urged Johnny to return to the job and the rest of the work was
finished in silence.

That afternoon the funeral took place. There were services at the
post-office, where any one who wished spoke in praise of the dead man.
There were many speeches and it was late afternoon when the funeral
cortege reached the cemetery. The Forest Reserve was mysterious with
shadows and with the unending murmur of the pines. Snow gleamed blue over
the valley. The saddle horses and teams were hitched to the stout fence
that surrounded the cemetery, and Lost Chief Valley crowded about the
open grave.

John Spencer drove Mary down in the old bobsled but Judith and Douglas
rode Swift and Buster as usual. Judith had been nervous and irritable
ever since the trip to the half-way house, but she had refused to admit