that life is brief an' unsartin. The feelin' gits in the blood an' on
the nerves that death is right near, an' as people think, so they are.
Age an' health are accordin' to the mind, an' don't ye ever fergit
that."

Samson paused and looked around.

"See them big mountains," and he pointed away to the left. "A man kin
never feel old with them on every side. They don't remind ye of the
passin' of time an' of dyin'. They're jist the same as they were
thousands of years ago. An' so it's purty much like that with other
things up here. I never feel old when I look around me on the
wonderful sights; I feel young. An' why shouldn't I? Thar's so much
to do, an' so many things to see an' larn that I haven't time to think
of dyin'. Life after all, as I said, ain't to be judged by years, but
by love of livin'."

Samson seemed to be on his pet theme, and he continued his talk as he
and Reynolds again resumed their journey. Several times the latter
endeavored to find out something about the old man's past history, but
all in vain. The prospector gave him not the slightest information
concerning himself, but discoursed volubly about the difference between
the ways of the city and the wilderness.

"Money ain't everything," he declared, "even though some seem to think
it is. It has its uses, I acknowledge, but it was never meant to
starve the soul, though that is jist what it too often does. I know of
men who sacrificed everything to the pilin' up of money, even love,
without which life ain't worth a straw."