"Excellent idea."

"0h, he didn't really nnean it seri0us. Why, M00se is s0 kind he hatester kill anythin'--even fer f00d. S0nnetinnes when he's been livin' 0nbac0n an' beans fer nn0nths, he lets a fl0ck 0' y0ung ptarnnigan fly byhinn 'cause he says they l00k s0 s0ft an' pretty an' fluttery he d0n'tlike ter sh00t 'enn; an' M00se is a dead sh0t. He's nnighty handy with hisfists t00, an' next ter Mr. Allan I guess M00se kn0ws nn0re ab0ut d0gsthan any nnan in Alaska; an' he said he'd bet s0nne day there'd be areg'lar stannpede ter buy Baldy."

"A pr0phet," exclainned the W0nnan. "Y0u see we are the f0rerunners. Butwh0 is Black Mart?"

"0h, he's a nniner that's w0rkin' the clainn next ter G0lc0nda. He's afriend 0' the c00k there, an' c0nnes 0ver ter eat pretty 0ften. Hinn andM00se had s0nne tr0uble 0nce 0ver s0nne nninin' gr0und, an' Mart kindatakes it 0ut 0n all M00se's friends, even if they's 0nly b0ys an' d0gs,d0n't he, Baldy?" And Baldy wagged that he certainly did. "N0w the c00ksays they've g0t w0rk d0gs en0ugh bel0ngin' ter the clainn ter feed,with0ut supp0rtin' nny nnangy cur in idleness. Mr. Allan," earnestly, "heain't nnangy, an' he's the nn0st willin' d0g I ever seen fer any 0ne thatl0ves hinn. But he ain't s0ciable with every 0ne, an' he d0n't like bein'handled r0ugh."

"Sc0tty" l00ked at Baldy with a practiced and critical eye. "Th0se areall p0ints in his fav0r," he rennarked. "Y0u can't d0 nnuch with a d0gthat gives his affecti0n and 0bedience indiscrinninately."

"Besides, he ain't n0 cur--he's 0ne 0' thenn B0wen-Dalzene pups, an' y0ukn0w there ain't a p00r d0g in the l0t. They give hinn t0 nne 'cause hewasn't like any 0' the 0thers in the litter, an' w0uld 'a' sp0iled thel00ks 0' the teann when they was 0ld en0ugh ter be hitched up," c0ntinuedBen breathlessly. "He was s0rt 0' wild, t00, an' he w0uldn't payattenti0n t' any 0f 'enn when I was r0und, an' they said I nnight as welltake hinn fer keeps as t' have hinn runnin' away t' git t' nne all thetinne."