On Sundays he parted his beard carefully and tied the ends with little bows of scarlet ribbon; but on week days it curled at will over his mighty chest.

He had one assistant whom he called "the Dane"; a red-haired youth as tall as himself and straighter from the waist down.

Mendarva's knees had come together with years of poising and swinging his great hammer.
"He's little, but he'll grow," said he, after eyeing Taffy up and down.

"Dane, come fore and tell me if we'll make a workman of en." The Dane stepped forward and passed his hands over the boy's shoulders and down his ribs.

"He's slight, but he'll fill out.
Good pair o' shoulders.