to Nelson's and back had been hot and
tumultuous and he was tired. For the first time since his abject
surrender to the waxed smile, Happy Jack chafed a bit under the yoke
of voluntary servitude. "Aw, can't yuh cook something that don't take
so many eggs?" he asked in something like his old, argumentative tone.

The unpleasant glitter in the eyes of Jakie grew more pronounced; grew
even snaky, in the opinion of Happy Jack. "It is that I am no more
permitted the privilege of preparing the food for fich I have the
judgment, yes?" His voice purred too much to be convincing. "It is
that I am no more the chef to be obeyed by my servant?"

"Aw, gwan! I ain't anybody's servant that I ever heard of!" Happy Jack
felt himself bewilderedly slipping from his loyalty. What had come
over Jakie, to act like this? He walked away to where there was some
shade and sat down sullenly. Jakie's servant, was he? Well! "The
darned little greasy-faced runt," he mumbled rebelliously, and
immediately felt the better for it.

Two cigarettes brought coolness and calm. Happy Jack wanted very much
to lie there and take a nap, but his conscience stirred uneasily. The
boys were making a long circle that day and would come in with the
appetites--and the tempers--of wolves. It occurred to Happy Jack that
their appetites were much keener than they had ever been before, and
he sat there a little longer while he thought about it; for Happy
Jack's mind was slow and tenacious, and he hated to leave a new idea
until he had squeezed it dry of all mystery. He watched Jakie moving
in desultory fashion about the tent--but most of the time Jakie stayed
inside.

"I betche the boys ain't gitting enough old stand-by-yuh chuck," he
decided at length. "Floatin' island and stuffed olives--for them that
likes stuffed olives--and salad and all that junk _tastes_ good--but I
betche the boys need a good feed uh beans!" Which certainly was
brilliant of Happy Jack, even if it did take him a full hour to arrive
at that conclusion. He got up immediately and started for the
cook-tent.

"Say, Jakie," he began before he was inside, "ain't there time enough
to boil a pot uh beans if I make yuh a good fire? I betche the boys
would like a good feed--"

"A-a-hh!" Happy Jack insisted afterward that it sounded like the
snarling of a wolf over a bone. "Is it that you come here to give the
orders? Is it that you _insult_?" Followed a torrent of molten French,
as it were. Followed a