When Bent Wade desired opportunities they seemed to gravitate to him.
Upon riding into the yard of White Slides Ranch he espied Jack Belllounds sitting in idle, moping posture on the porch. Something in his dejected appearance roused Wade's pity. No one else was in sight, so the hunter took advantage of the moment.
"Hey, Belllounds, will you give me a lift with this meat?" called Wade.
"Sure," replied Jack, readily enough, and he got up. Wade led the pack-horse to the door of the store-cabin, which stood back of the kitchen and was joined to it by a roof. There, with Jack's assistance, he unloaded the meat and hung it up on pegs. This done, Wade set to work with knife in hand.
"I reckon a little trimmin' will improve the looks of this carcass," observed Wade.
"Wade, we never had any one round except dad who could cut up a steer or elk," said Jack. "But you've got him beat."
"I'm pretty handy at most things."
"Handy!... I wish I could do just one thing as well as you. I can ride, but that's all. No one ever taught me anything."
"You're a young fellow yet, an' you've time, if you only take kindly to learnin'. I was past your age when I learned most I know."
The hunter's voice and his look, and that fascination which subtly hid in his presence, for the first time seemed to find the response of interest in young Belllounds.