"How's that 'ere sun lookin' to-day, Jack?"
Now the rolling-stone was a keen watcher of the heavens, and in his chest he kept a big star telescope which, from the care he took of it, seemed to be his chief joy in life.
Many an hour of a hard-earned night watch below had he spent with his eye glued to that glass, and he was a mine of queer information and out-of-the-way knowledge on the subject of sun, moon, and stars, and with a certain air of pride and self-satisfaction he was wont to describe himself as an "astronomical weather-prophet."
At Broncho's question he threw up his head like a war-horse scenting battle, and replied with the gravity befitting such a serious subject:
"The sun rose well this morning, and I expect calm weather with light variable airs before we take the trades."
Ben Sluice the miner looked up in surprise at Jack's professional weather-clerk air.
"I presumes the 'old gentleman's' healthy, and ain't been a-developin' of measles none lately?" ventured the cowboy meekly.
"Well, Broncho, I'm afraid there is a small spot beginning to show faintly on the lower disk," declared the Britisher.
"You don't say? That 'ere luminary is shore misfortunate that away. You-alls recalls how he suffers so bad from that malady when we're out on the Circle-dot outfit together. I allow his grub is too heatin'," drawled the cowpuncher with a faint smile.