"You never saw me shoot, did you?
See that cup over there ?" He pointed to a small tin pack-cup hanging to a nail on the wall a dozen paces from them.

Three times without missing he drove bullets through it, and smiled across at Croisset.
"I am going to give you the use of your arms and legs, except at night," he said.
"_Mon Dieu_, it is safe," grunted Jean.

"I give you my word that I will be good, M'seur." The sun was up when Croisset led the way outside.

His dogs and sledge were a hundred yards from the building, and Howland's first move was to take possession of the Frenchman's rifle and eject the cartridges while Jean tossed chunks of caribou flesh to the huskies.

When they were ready to start Jean turned slowly and half reached out a mittened hand to the engineer.
"M'seur," he said softly, "I can not help liking you, though I know that I should have killed you long ago.