A. M. Chisholm

“ To begin with, Ballou and his men outnumbered us. And then there was the strange canoe. Where had that come from? Anyway, it meant a couple more men. They were on the ground, in possession. Most of the canoes were theirs by right of purchase. As to the cache, though we had Nitche McNab's letter, of course that constituted no ownership that they would recognize. If they found the cache, they would keep its contents. But had they found it?
"Not likely," said Toft. "Even if they do, the furs may not be any good. And if they ain't, it might not be worth while hornin' in on that crowd at all. ”

“ You want to go in with your mind made up cold to plug any man that don't do what he's told to do and do it quick. With a bunch like this here there's always liable to be one man that'll take a chance. ”

“ I don't know this bunch, but if they was to come back and find us here I b'lieve there'd be the makin's of trouble. We know they're here, and they don't know we are. We got it on them that much. If it was me, I'd pull out till I figgered out the 'best play."
"That's right," Toft agreed. "I guess they're up the creek lookin' for the cache. "It's gettin' on time for 'em to come back to eat." ”

“ Go careful when you git close. A man shows up agin' a sky line."
We looked down into a deep, wooded gorge. Below us, the lips of the cañon spat a torrent of swirling water which, spreading, brawled noisily in a bowlder-strewn course of frosted silver. On our side the' drop was abrupt, rocky, gray with miniature slides of shale and small stuff. But across the creek the slope was easier, and covered with a growth of fir and, spruce. ”

“ You never want to start out to hold up nobody with the idee that you're runnin' a sandy. You may show it's a bluff, or you may be slow decidin' what to do if your hand's called. And while you're decidin' you get killed. ”

“ Dunleath replied.
"They make durn good strangers, too," Pack growled. "But you ought to know 'em, Bob. That big feller is Charlie Simmons—Nootka Charlie that got fresh with your sister—and the old pelican is Siwash George Collins. Both squaw men—more or less—and both bad actors. Me and Ike know 'em, don't we, Ike?"
"Some," Toft agreed briefly. "Which is this here Ballou?" ”