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186 Black Joe and when the two who listened to the story of the gold mine laughed heartily Harris stopped talking altogether and smiled and a certain restlessness showed in his eyes.

Beauchamp came in and prepared to shave. Harris rose and walked toward Joe's bunk.

"Joe, have a cigar," he said.

The woodsman stopped talking. He eyed Harris slowly as he had at first eyed John Taylor. He removed his pipe and spat and said:

"Who? Me? I promised my mother I'd never smoke 'em!"

Harris rumbled a laugh, but flushed slightly, for the contempt in Joe's manner was unmistakable.

"All right then, I'll keep 'em for the wicked, Joe. Go on with your story," sitting down.

"Story? What story?" Joe asked, black eyes blazing and turned away and put the gnawed pipe stem between his teeth and smoked in confusing silence.

Harris attempted to recover his poise, but he did not urge a resumption of the tale, and soon was gone, followed as far as his waiting car by Goddard.

Beauchamp was laughing as he lathered his face and winked at John.

"Py gosh, Jim Harris she don' nefer get Joe to tell heem 'bout Paul Bunion." He lifted two fingers of the hand which held the razor. "For two year, now, he come here for Joe to tell heem 'bout Paul. Wan taam, before she go dry, he make Joe drunk an' try, but Joe—" shaking his head, "she don' gife wan damn for Jim Harris. She nefer say wan word 'bout Paul when he's 'roun'.

"I tell heem, Joe you wan beeg fool. Jim Harris pay