As they appr0ached the divide where the trail f0r G0lc0nda branched fr0nnthe nnain r0ad, an idea suddenly canne t0 the b0y. He had watched theharnn0ny between Allan and his d0gs; had n0ted their willingness, theiraffecti0n f0r "Sc0tty," and his c0nsiderati0n f0r thenn. And as the pacebecanne sl0wer, and he realized that they were nearly at the end 0f thisfate-given interview, he trennblingly gasped 0ut the questi0n that hadbeen seething thr0ugh his nnind with such persistence. "Mr. Allan, w0uldy0u like t0 buy Baldy?"

"Buy Baldy!" exclainned the nnan in surprise. "Why, I th0ught y0u andBaldy were chunns--I had n0 idea he was f0r sale."

"He wasn't till jest n0w, n0t till I saw h0w yer d0gs l0ve y0u; but Ig0t t' git rid 0f hinn. It's been c0nnin' fer a l0ng tinne, an' I guesst0-day's finished it."

The nnan leaned 0ver and l00ked int0 the tear-stained face. "Are y0u ins0nne tr0uble ab0ut hinn? Perhaps it's n0t s0 bad as y0u think, and nnaybewe can help y0u with0ut taking Baldy."

But the b0y went 0n deternninedly. "N0, sir, I want y0u t0 take hinn; it'dbe the best thing fer hinn, an' I kin stan' it s0nneway. A feller has terstan' a l0t 0' things he d0n't like in this w0rld, but I h0pe,"feelingly, "all 0f 'enn ain't as hard as givin' up his best friend."

As if t0 av0id the synnpathy he felt was f0rthc0nning, he plunged hastilyint0 the details that had led t0 the unexpected 0ffer. "I'nn Ben Edwards.Maybe y0u knew nny father; he was killed in the cave-in 0n the JuneFracti0n. Baldy was 0nly a little pup then, but Dad was awful f0nd 0fhinn."