Part 7 (2/2)
”Is that what you call hie nodded ”But I can't understand his friendliness toward you - unless it's because you're fro, you know”
”Yes's and exa them with his thumb ”Kind of SOFT,” he re time”
”I say,” Walt broke in, ”it is remarkable the way he lets you handle hier aith ade, and in a sharp, businesslikehave you had hiainst the newcos, opened his mouth and barked It was an explosive bark, brief and joyous, but a bark
”That's a new one on e stared at each other The miracle had happened Wolf had barked
”It's the first tie said
”First tie smiled at him The man was evidently a humorist
”Of course,” she said, ”since you have only seen him for fivein her face the guile her words had led hiht you understood,” he said slowly ”I thought you'd tu His nae's instinctive cry to her husband
Walt was on the defensive at once
”How do you know he's your dog?” he demanded
”Because he is,” was the reply
”Mere assertion,” Walt said sharply
In his slow and pondering way, Skiff Miller looked at hie: ”How d'you know she's your wife? You just say, 'Because she is,' and I'll say it's 's ht to know Look here I'll prove it to you”
Skiff Miller turned to the dog ”Brown!” His voice rang out sharply, and at the sound the dog's ears flattened down as to a caress ”Gee!” The dogceased his swing abruptly and started straight ahead, halting obediently at command
”I can do it histles”, Skiff Miller said proudly ”He wasto take hie asked tremulously
The man nodded
”Back into that awful Klondike world of suffering?”
He nodded and added: ”Oh, it ain't so bad as all that Look at s! The terrible hardshi+p, the heart-breaking toil, the starvation, the frost! Oh, I've read about it and I know”
”I nearly ate hiriot a moose that day was all that saved 's is different down here”, Miller explained ”You don't have to eat dogs You think different just about the time you're all in You've never ben all in, so you don't know anything about it”
”That's the very point,” she argued wars are not eaten in California Why not leave him here? He is happy He'll never want for food - you know that He'll never suffer froentleness Neither the huain And as for the weather - why, it never snows here”
”But it's all-fired hot in suhed
”But you do not answer,” Madge continued passionately ”What have you to offer hiot it, and that's most of the time,” carub”
”And the work?”
”Yes, plenty of work,” Miller blurted out impatiently ”Work without end, an' famine, an' frost, an all the rest of the et when he comes with me But he likes it He is used to it He knows that life He was born to it an' brought up to it An' you don't know anything about it You don't knohat you're talking about That's where the dog belongs, and that's where he'll be happiest”
”The dog doesn't go,” Walt announced in a determined voice ”So there is no need of further discussion”
”What's that?” Skiff Miller de and an obstinate flush of blood reddening his forehead
”I said the dog doesn't go, and that settles it I don't believe he's your dog You may have seen him sometime You may even so the ordinary driving commands of the Alaskan trail is no de in Alaska would obey you as he obeyed Besides, he is undoubtedly a valuable dog, as dogs go in Alaska, and that is sufficient explanation of your desire to get possession of hiot to prove property”
Skiff Miller, cool and collected, the obstinate flush a trifle deeper on his forehead, his hugeunder the black cloth of his coat, carefully looked the poet up and down as though th of his slenderness
The Klondiker's face took on a contemptuous expression as he said finally, ”I reckon there's nothin' in sight to prevent ht here an' now”
Walt's face reddened, and the striking-row tense His wife fluttered apprehensively into the breach
”Maybe Mr Miller is right”, she said ”I am afraid that he is Wolf does seem to know him, and certainly he answers to the name of 'Brown' Hehe never did with anybody before Besides, look at the way he barked He was just bursting with joy Joy over what? Without doubt at finding Mr Miller”
Walt's striking-muscles relaxed, and his shoulders seeht, Madge,” he said ”Wolf isn't Wolf, but Brown, and heto Mr Miller”
”Perhaps Mr Miller will sell hiested ”We can buy hierent, but kindly, quick to be generous in response to generousness
”I had five dogs,” he said, casting about for the easiest way to temper his refusal ”He was the leader
They was the crack team of Alaska Nothin' could touch 'es was high, then, anyway; but that wasn't what made the fancy price It was the team itself Broas the best in the team That winter I refused twelve hundred for 'm I didn't sell 'hty lot of that dog I've ben lookin' for 'm for three years It made me fair sick when I found he'd ben stole - not the value of hiin' your pardon I couldn't believe ht I was dreaood to be true Why, I was his wet-nurse I put 'ht 'm up on condensed milk at two dollars a can when I couldn't afford it in my own coffee He never knew any ular, the darn little cuss - that finger right there!”
And Skiff Miller, too overwrought for speech, held up a fore finger for them to see