way he had conducted the rescue party; but it would
never happen again. After this he would pattern his
conduct after Monteith, who seemed to accomplish
by a nod and a wave of the hand what he had split
his throat in trying to enforce. He did not put these
thoughts into words; neither did he whisper them
even in the ears of Podvine or Monteith--the two
men who understood him best and who guyed him the
least--especially Monteith, who never forgot that his
college chum was his guest. He confided them
instead to Monteith's big, red-faced foreman--half
Canadian, part French, and the rest of him Irish--
who was another source of wonder. Muggles's inherent
good humor and willingness to oblige had made
an impression on the lumber-boss and he was always
willing to answer any fool question the young New
Yorker asked--a privilege which he never extended
to his comrades.

"What do I do when somepin' catches fire?" the
boss replied to one of Muggles's inquiries--they were
sitting in the office alone, Bender and little Billy
having gone fishing with Jackson. "I'd blow that
big whistle ye see hooked to the safety, first. Ye
never heard it?--well, don't! It'll scare the life out
o' ye. If the mill catches before we can get the
pumps to work it's all up with us. If the piles of
lumber git afire we kin save some of 'em if the wind's
right; that's why we stack up the sawed stuff in
separate piles."