"I met Alex Thumb a piece back on the trail."

"Well, what of it? What has that got to do with me?"

"I don't know. He mentioned your name, that's all. An' I just kind of
surmised from the way he done it that you an' him didn't part the best
of friends."

"I hired him for a guide, and he undertook to give me my orders on the
trail. But I soon showed him where he stood."

Downey nodded. "He's counted bad medicine up here."

"I guess he won't bother me any; I'm here to stay."

"No, he won't be apt to _bother_ you any. Probably kill you, though,
if you don't keep your eyes open. But don't worry about that, because
if he does I'll get him."

"He can't bluff me. I served with the engineers in Russia."

"You'll be servin' with the devils in hell, too, if you don't quit
makin' enemies of men like Alex Thumb."

"They didn't use up _all_ the brains, when they made the Mounted,
Captain."

"_Corporal_'ll do me," corrected the officer. "I wasn't with the
engineers--in Russia. I was only in the trenches--in France."