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~<a To CARIBOO AND BACK }--

to get there, and starved to stay here. Yes,
sir, that’s true. And there’s a many have died
in their tracks for lack of food on the way!
The man had the face of a pink baby, but his
eyes were sharp and shrewd. “I’ve no food to
give away,” he said, “and precious little to-
sell, for every pound comes on muleback from
Yale and there’s thousands of folks living here
and about and more coming every day.” -

The travellers looked at each other in dis-
may, and wondered if all the Quesnel people
were as hard-hearted and tight-fisted as this _
man; for they could not believe that he had
told them the literal truth.

It was at this moment that the Little Gen-
eral pushed forward and addressed the pink
faced Hunkydory.

“Maybe you might be wanting a cook and
waitress?” she said and looked him in the eye.
Mary, small as she was had a wonderful air of
competence.

A grin of delight spread over the man’s
face and they could see when he smiled that
he was not such a bandit as they had thought.

“Why ma’am,” I do. Indeed I do! Were
you thinking of applying?”

[180]