But show us everything about your place
before we go back, won't you, please?"
He showed them his hut, where he lived, quite alone. It was supplied with
bare necessaries, and with a counter, behind which were cups and a few
bottles. In reference to this, Boldrick said: "Temperance drinks for the
muleteers, tobacco and tea and sugar and postage stamps and things. They
don't gargle their throats with anything stronger than coffee at this
tavern."
Then he took them to the cave in which puma, bear, and wapiti skins were
piled, together with a few stores and the kits of travellers who had left
their belongings in Boldrick's keeping till they should come again. After
Mrs. Falchion and Ruth had seen all, they came out upon the mountain-side
and waved their handkerchiefs to us, who were still watching from below.
Then Boldrick hoisted a flag on his hut, which he used on gala occasions,
to celebrate the event, and, not content with this, fired a 'feu de
joie', managed in this way: He took two anvils used by the muleteers and
expressmen to shoe their animals, and placed one on the other, putting
powder between.
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