Shorty held the lamp. “I never used any,” he said, looking out at the instrument, nevertheless.
The Virginian had forgotten that Shorty could not read. So he looked out of the window himself, and found that it was twenty-two below zero. “This is pretty good tobacco,” he remarked; and Shorty helped himself, and filled his pipe.
“I had to rub my left ear with snow to-day,” said he. “I was just in time.”
“I thought it looked pretty freezy out where yu' was riding,” said the foreman.
The lost dog's eyes showed plain astonishment. “We didn't see you out there,” said he.
“Well,” said the foreman, “it'll soon not be freezing any more; and then we'll all be warm enough with work. Everybody will be working all over the range. And I wish I knew somebody that had a lot of stable work to be attended to. I cert'nly do for your sake.”
“Why?” said Shorty.
“Because it's the right kind of a job for you.”
“I can make more—” began Shorty, and stopped.
“There is a time coming,” said the Virginian, “when I'll want somebody that knows how to get the friendship of hawsses. I'll want him to handle some special hawsses the Judge has plans about. Judge Henry would pay fifty a month for that.”