imals an' kids. He had a pet ermine that 'ud come in ter see him every
night in his cabin, an' he wouldn't let Mart an' some o' the fellers set
a trap fer the red mother fox that was prowlin' round the place t' git
somethin' fer her babies. Said he'd make trap-bait fer bears o' the
first feller that tried t' git 'er."

"Excellent idea."

"Oh, he didn't really mean it serious. Why, Moose is so kind he hates
ter kill anythin'--even fer food. Sometimes when he's been livin' on
bacon an' beans fer months, he lets a flock o' young ptarmigan fly by
him 'cause he says they look so soft an' pretty an' fluttery he don't
like ter shoot 'em; an' Moose is a dead shot. He's mighty handy with his
fists too, an' next ter Mr. Allan I guess Moose knows more about dogs
than any man in Alaska; an' he said he'd bet some day there'd be a
reg'lar stampede ter buy Baldy."

"A prophet," exclaimed the Woman. "You see we are the forerunners. But
who is Black Mart?"

"Oh, he's a miner that's workin' the claim next ter Golconda. He's a
friend o' the cook there, an' comes over ter eat pretty often. Him and
Moose had some trouble once over some minin' ground, an' Mart kinda
takes it out on all Moose's friends, even if they's only boys an' dogs,
don't he, Baldy?" And Baldy wagged that he certainly did. "Now the cook
says they've got work dogs enough belongin' ter the claim ter feed,
without supportin' my mangy cur in idleness. Mr. Allan," earnestly, "he
ain't mangy, an' he's the most willin' dog I ever seen fer any one that
loves him. But he ain't sociable with every one, an' he don't like bein'
handled rough."

"Scotty" looked at Baldy with a practiced and critical eye. "Those are
all points in his favor," he remarked. "You can't do much with a dog
that gives his affection and obedience indiscriminately."

"Besides, he ain't no cur--he's one o' them Bowen-Dalzene pups, an' you
know there ain't a poor dog in the lot. They give him to me 'cause he
wasn't like any o' the others in the litter, an' would 'a' spoiled the
looks o' the team when they was old enough ter be hitched up," continued
Ben breathlessly. "He was sort o' wild, too, an' he wouldn't pay
attention t' any of 'em when I was round, an' they said I might as well
take him fer keeps as t' have him runnin' away t' git t' me all the
time."

"And your mother does not like him, and thinks it would be best not to
keep him now?"

"She really does like him; but she does the washin' fer the