What about the horse, Jim, if it starts to
snow?"
"Riding in a saddle, I can git through," said the miner. "If it snows
at all, it won't storm bad. Storms that come up sudden never last very
long, and it's been good and bright all day. I'll start unless it's
snowin' feather-beds."
Miss Doc had been feeling, since the subject first was broached, that
something in her heart would snap. But she worked on, her emotions,
yearnings, and fears all rigorously knitted into the tiny mittens.
"You'll let me wrap him up real warm?" she said.
Jim knew her thoughts were all on little Skeezucks.
"If you didn't do it, who would?" he asked, in a kindness of heart that
set her pulse to faster beating.
"But--s'pose you don't git any job in Fremont," Bone inquired. "Will
you let us know?"
"I'll git it, don't you fear," said Jim. "I know there ain't no one so
blind as the feller who's always lookin' for a job, but the little kid
has fetched me a sort of second sight."
"Well, if anything was goin' hard, we'd like for to know," insisted
Bone. "I guess we'd better start along, though, now, if we're goin' to
scare up a bronch to-night."
He and the blacksmith departed. Jim and the lorn Miss Doc sat silently
together in the warm little house.
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