CHAPTER III
THE WAY TO MAKE A DOLL
For a moment after the quaint little pilgrim had spoken, the minerstared at him almost in awe. Had a gold nugget dropped at his feetfrom the sky his amazement could scarcely have been greater.
"What's that?" he said. "Nobody wants you, little boy? What's thematter with me and the pup?" And taking the tiny chap up in his armshe sat in the doorway and held him snugly to his rough, old heart androcked back and forth, in a tumult of feeling that nothing couldexpress.
"Little pard," he said, "you bet me and Tintoretto want you, righthere."
For his part, Tintoretto thumped the house and the step and the miner'sshins with the clumsy tail that was wagging his whole puppy body. Thenhe clambered up and pushed his awkward paws in the little youngster'sface, and licked his ear and otherwise overwhelmed him with attentions,till his master pushed him off. At this he growled and began to chewthe big, rough hand that suppressed his demonstrations.
In lieu of the ears of the rabbit to which he had clung throughout thenight, the silent little man on the miner's knee was holding now toJim's enormous fist, which he found conveniently supplied. He saidnothing more, and for quite a time old Jim was content to watch hisbaby face.
"A white little kid--that nobody wants--but me and Tintoretto," hemused, aloud, but to himself. "Where did you come from, pardner,anyhow?"
The tiny foundling made no reply. He simply looked at the thin, kindlyface of his big protector in his quaint, baby way, but kept his solemnlittle mouth peculiarly closed.
The miner tried a score of questions, tenderly, coaxingly, but never athing save that confident clinging to his hand and a nod or a shake ofthe head resulted.
By some means, quite his own, the man appeared to realize that thegrave little fellow had never prattled as children usually do, and thatwhat he had said had been spoken with difficulties, only overcome bystress of emotion. The mystery of whence a bit of a boy so tiny couldhave come, and who he was, especially after his baby statement thatnobody wanted him, anywhere, remained unbroken, after all the miner'squeries. Jim was at length obliged to give it up.
"Do you like that little dog?" he said, as Tintoretto renewed hisovertures of companionship. "Do you like old brother Jim and the pup?"
Solemnly the little pilgrim nodded.
"Want some breakfast, all pretty, in our own little house?"
Once more the quaint and grave little nod was forthcoming.
"All right. We'll have it bustin' hot in the shake of a crockeryanimal's tail," announced the miner.
He carried the mite of a man inside and placed him again in the bunk,where the little fellow found his rabbit and drew it into his arms.
The banquet proved to be a repetition of the supper of the nightbefore, except that two great flapjacks were added to the menu, greasedwith fat from the bacon and sprinkled a half-inch thick with soft brownsugar.
When the cook fetched his hungry little guest to the board the rabbitcame as well.
"You ought to have a dolly," decided Jim, with a knowing nod. "If onlyI had the ingenuity I could make one, sure," and throughout the meal hewas planning the manufacture of something that should beat the wholewide world for cleverness.
The result of his cogitation was that he took no time for washing thedishes after breakfast, but went to work at once to make a doll. Theinitial step was to take the hide from the rabbit. Sadly butunresistingly the little pilgrim resigned his pet, and never expectedagain to possess the comfort of its fur against his face.
With the skin presently rolled up in a nice light form, however, theminer was back in the cabin, looking for something of which to fashiona body and head for the lady-to-be. There seemed to be nothing handy,till he thought of a peeled potato for the lady's head and a big metalpowder-flask to supply the body.
Unfortunately, as potatoes were costly, the only tuber they had in thehouse was a weazened old thing that parted with its wrinkled skinreluctantly and was not very white when partially peeled. However, Jimpared off enough of its surface on which to make a countenance, andleft the darker hide above to form the dolly's hair. He bored twoeyes, a nose, and a mouth in the toughened substance, and blackenedthem vividly with soot from the chimney. After this he bored a largerhole, beneath the chin, and pushed the head thus created upon the metalspout of the flask, where it certainly stuck with firmness.
With a bit of cord the skin of the rabbit was now secured about theneck and body of the lady's form, and her beauty was complete. Thatcertain particles of powder rattled lightly about in her gracefulinterior only served to render her manners more animated and her personmore like good, lively company, for Jim so decided himself.
"There you are. That's the prettiest dolly you ever saw anywhere,"said he, as he handed it over to the willing little chap. "And she allbelongs to you."
The mite of a boy took her hungrily to his arms, and Jim was peculiarlyaffected.
"Do you want to give her a name?" he said.
Slowly the quaint little pilgrim shook his head.
"Have you got a name?" the miner inquired, as he had a dozen timesbefore.
This time a timid nod was forthcoming.
"Oh," said Jim, in suppressed delight. "What is your nice little name?"
For a moment coyness overtook the tiny man. Then he faintly replied,"Nu-thans."
"Nuisance?" repeated the miner, and again he saw the timid little nod.
"But that ain't a name," said Jim. "Is 'Nuisance' all the name thebaby's got?"
His bit of a guest seemed to think very hard, but at last he nodded asbefore.
"Well, string my pearls," said the miner to himself, "if somebody'ain't been mean and low!" He added, cheerfully, "Wal, it's easier tolive down a poor name than it is to live up to a fine one, any day, butwe'll name you somethin' else, I reckon, right away. And ain't thatdolly nice?"
The two were in the midst of appreciating the charms of her ladyshipwhen the cabin door was abruptly opened and in came a coatless, fat,little, red-headed man, puffing like a bellows and pulling down hisshirtsleeves with a great expenditure of energy, only to have themimmediately crawl back to his elbows.
"Hullo, Keno," drawled the lanky Jim. "I thought you was mad and goneaway and died."
"Me? Not me!" puffed the visitor.
"What's that?" and he nodded himself nearly off his balance towards thetiny guest he saw upon a stool.
With a somewhat belated bark, Tintoretto suddenly came out from hisboot-chewing contest underneath the table and gave the new-comer anapoplectic start.
"Hey!" he cried. "Hey! By jinks! a whole menajry!"
"That's the pup," said Jim. "And, Keno, here's a poor little skeezucksthat I found a-sittin' in the brush, 'way over to Coyote Valley. Ifetched him home last night, and I was just about to take him down tocamp and show him to the boys."
"By jinks!" said Keno. "Alive!"
"Alive and smart as mustard," said the suddenly proud possessor of agenuine surprise. "You bet he's smart! I've often noticed how therenever yet was any other kind of a baby. That's one consolation left toevery fool man livin'--he was once the smartest baby in the world,"
"Alive!" repeated Keno, as before. "I'm goin' right down and tell thecamp!"
He bolted out at the door like a shot, and ran down the hill toBorealis with all his might.
Aware that the news would be spread like a sprinkle of rain, the lankyJim put on his hat with a certain jaunty air of importance, and takingthe grave little man on his arm, with the new-made doll and the pup forcompany, he followed, where Keno had just disappeared from view, downthe slope.
A moment later the town was in sight, and groups of flannel-shirted,dusty-booted, slouchily attired citizens were discernible coming out ofbuildings everywhere.
Running up the hill again, puffing with added explosiveness, Keno couldhardly contain his excitement.
"I've told em!" he panted. "They know he's alive and smart as mustard
!"