oke in:

"You had better take him!"

Then, deciding that perhaps he could help us in some small degree, and
that we might spare a few dollars to give him, even if he only kept us in
whole shoes, I answered: "Well, well see what you can do, and you can camp
in the other tent. There's a set of worn-out harness for a beginning
to-morrow; and if you go right across you'll just be in time for supper."

He thanked us with effusion, and when he went out Harry said lightly: "We
have made a very bad bargain, of course, but I dare say we can manage to
raise all he will cost us. Naturally, I feel inclined to do something for
the old man, but that confounded Fletcher exasperates me. His shadow has
been over you ever since you started in this country, and, I suppose it's
foolish, but I feel that some day he'll do you a greater injury. However,
at present I almost sympathize with his action. It isn't cheerful to have
a future state of brimstone held up before one continually."

"When I said you had better take him, I didn't mean at your own expense,"
interposed the surveyor, "but that in the circumstances it would come
better so. I guess we'll squeeze him somehow on to the pay-roll of the
Company. Heard all about the whole thing from some one. Who?--oh, General
Jackson, how should I remember? Kind of religio-political crank, isn't he?
Well, I've seen some inventive geniuses among the species, and while we're
driving straight ahead we can find use for a man if he's honest and handy
finicking round the chores. Still, that has nothing to do with what I'm
coming to. We have room for straight live men on this road, and I've been
watching you two. Guess you've been losing heavy, and you stuck right down
to it. Now, this branch is going to be froze up presently, and they've
sent for me to finish a mining loop among the mountains of British
Columbia; when some one else has fooled a tough job they generally do.
They listen at headquarters when I get up to talk, and the question is,
will you bring along your outfit and haul rocks and lumber in the ranges
for me? This time we'll try to make the deal a better one for you. We'll
square up and pay off on what you've done so far; it will cut the loss,
because there's more of the coulee, and there'll be hard frost before
you're out on the prairie. Now, I've been talking straight--what have you
to say?"

I looked around at the others. Harry beamed approval, Johnston nodded
indifferently, and I fe