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hankered to run naked in the moonlight. And I knew that this dirty little Juneau hash-joint was no place for me. And right there and then I said, "I quit." I packed up my few rags of clothes, and started. Jake saw me and tried to stop me.

"'"What you doing?" he says.

"'"Divorcin' you and me," I says. "I'm headin' for tall timber and where I belong."

"'"No you don't," he says, reaching for me to stop me, "The cookin' has got on your head. You listen to me talk before you up and do anything brash."

"'But I pulled a gun—a little Colt's forty-four—and says, "This does my talkin' for me."

"'And I left.'"

Trefethan emptied his glass and called for another.

"Boys, do you know what that girl did? She was twenty-two. She had spent her life over the dish-pan and she knew no more about the world than I do of the fourth dimension, or the fifth. All roads led to her desire. No; she did n't head for the dance-halls. On the Alaskan Pan-handle it is preferable to travel by water. She went down to the beach. An Indian canoe was start-