He had quite forgotten that he had meant to lick the first man he saw, and grinned when the fat man came toiling back with the other animal.
By the time their coffee was boiled and their bacon fried, each one knew the other's past history and tentative plans for the future, censored and glossed somewhat by the teller but received without question or criticism.
The fat man's name was Barney Oakes, and he had heard of Casey Ryan and was glad to meet him.

Though Casey had never heard of Barney Oakes, he discovered that they both knew Bill Masters, the garage man at Lund; and further gossip revealed the amazing fact that Barney Oakes had once been the husband of the woman whom Casey had very nearly married, the widow who cooked for the Lucky Lode.
"Boy, you're sure lucky she turned loose on yuh before yuh went an' married her!" Barney congratulated Casey, slapping his great thigh and laughing loudly.

"She shore is handy with her tongue--that old girl.
Ever hear a sawmill workin' overtime?
That's her--rippin' through knots an' never blowin' the whistle fer quittin' time.

I never knowed a man could have as many faults as what she used t' name over fer me." He drained his cup and sighed with great content.

"At that, I stayed with her seven months and fourteen days," he boasted.