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 whatever, while Abner, returning to his task of rolling his blankets merely nodded his head in dismissal.

Bub shrewdly diagnosed his companion’s emotions and smiled whimsically. “Not strong on sentiment, eh?” he grinned. “You’ll git used to that, my son. Once, when I was green, I got mad with Abner up north of Parmachena and quit him in the night. I was lost for three days, but at last saw his smoke and got to him. I didn’t even have matches and couldn’t make my two smokes. When I staggered into the clearing he was smoking his pipe. All he said was, ‘Guess we need a little more wood, Bub.’ Never mentioned my running away to this day.”

“That sounds very harsh,” condemned Stanley. “When folks part in the city they’re civilized enough to shake hands and say ‘good-by.’”

Bub fired up at that. “And I guess one of them city folks will quit his work and go out and hunt up a stranger, or tramp through the woods, or paddle down a river for a doctor, if a neighbor’s sick, eh? As for being harsh, there never was a minute Abner couldn’t put his hand on me. He knew I wouldn’t starve for a day or so and he let me have my sulks