"
For the next few days, however, Jim and the others were content to see
the signs of returning baby strength that came to little Skeezucks.
That the clearing away of the leaden clouds, and the coming of beauty
and sunshine, pure and dazzling, had a magical effect upon the tiny
chap, as well as on themselves, the men were all convinced. And the
camp, one afternoon, underwent a wholly novel and unexpected sensation
of delight.
A man, with his sweet, young wife and three small, bright-faced
children, came driving to Borealis. With two big horses steaming in
the crystal air and blowing great, white clouds of mist from their
nostrils, with wheels rimmed deeply by the snow between the spokes,
with colored wraps and mittened hands, and three red worsted caps upon
the children's heads, the vision coming up the one straight street was
quite enough to warm up every heart in town.
The rig drew up in front of the blacksmith-shop, and twenty men came
walking there to give it welcome.
"Howdy, stranger?" said the blacksmith, as he came from his forge,
bareheaded, his leathern apron tied about his waist, his sleeves rolled
up, and his big, hairy arms akimbo. "Pleasant day. You're needin'
somethin' fixed, I see," and he nodded quietly towards a road-side job
of mending at the doubletree, which was roughly wrapped about with rope.
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