ght the hang of them durn disconnected bob-sleds I
saw where the 'skee' come in. The feller that loaned 'em to me
kindly explained that you slid down the hills on 'em, and it was
great sport. When I clumb the first hill and stood perspirin' on
top I felt entitled to a little sport. 'Hooray!' says I, and
pushed loose. It was a long, wide, high hill with trees and things
on it. Some time after I started, say about three seconds, I
thought I'd like to slack a bit and view the scenery. The way I
was travelin' the scenery looked like the spokes of a flywheel. I
left my stummick and my immortal soul about ten rods behind me.
You could play checkers on my coat-tail, as the sayin' is. Man!
And I pushed up a hurricane. It cut my eyes so I cried icicles a
foot long. _Roar-row-roor-s-s-wish_! we went in the open, and
_me-a-arrr_! we ripped through the timber. I crossed a downed log
unexpected and flew thirty foot in the air. Whilst aloft I see a
creek dead ahead of me. There wasn't nothin' to do but jump when I
come to it, so I jumped. I don't care a cuss whether you believe
me or not, dear friends and brothers, but I want to tell you right
now that I cleared the creek with something like one hundred and
eighty feet to spare! At which I took to throwin' summersaults. I
threw one solid quarter-mile of summersaults before that suddent
cravin' was satisfied.

"'Y-a-as,' says I when I picked myself up. 'Well, I reckon I've
done enough of this here skeedaddlin' for one mornin'. So after
that I went along quiet and dignified to William Pemberton's.

"I hit his cabin on Christmas Eve, findin' him very low-spirited.
It seems that he was expectin' an attack from some people anxious
to jump the claims, thereby gettin' the mill standin' on the
property. The feller that hired Billy as watchman promised him
everything and forgot it. Billy was almighty faithful but
hot-tempered'

"'Think of it!' says he to me. 'I gets word two days ago that the
gang is comin' to hop me, and old man Davis ain't even sent me a
rifle, like he agreed. What does he expect? Does he have
illusions that when they come squirtin' lead at me I'm goin' to peg
at 'em with snowballs?'

"Then he laid back, fightin' for breath, and kickin' out with his
legs till I loosened his collar. It was a terrible strain, bein'
watchman of a mill under them conditions, with a disposition like
this. I pitched in to make him feel better. After I'd narrated
s