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Updated: September 22, 2025
"You kin bet that Doc was awake all the time, and listenin', as long as Jim was there," said Bone, "but six yoke of oxen couldn't 'a' dragged his two eyes open, or him out of bed, to mingle in the ceremonies." To prevent a recurrence of similar descents upon his household, Jim arranged his plans in such a manner that the timid little Skeezucks should never again be left alone.
Then Keno came ducking towards him from below, with Tintoretto in his wake, so rampantly glad in his puppy heart that he instantly climbed on the timid little Skeezucks, sitting for convenience on the earth, and bowled him head over heels. "Here, pup, you abate yourself," said Jim. "Be solemnly glad and let it go at that."
In sheer concern old Jim went forth that cold and windy afternoon of the day but four removed from Christmas, to make at least a show of working on his claim. Keno, Skeezucks, and the pup remained behind, the little red-headed man being busily engaged in some great culinary mystery from which he said his lemon-pie for Christmas should evolve.
Between them they tore the precious creation from the hands of the tiny man, and released the pup, who immediately leaped up and fastened a hold on the doll himself, to the horror of the preacher, Miss Doc, old Jim, Mrs. Stowe, and Skeezucks, all of whom, save the newly christened little Carson, pounced upon the children, the doll, and Tintoretto, with one accord.
There was nothing artificial in the way those little girls fell in love with tiny Skeezucks; and with equally engaging frankness the tiny man instantly revealed his fondness for them all. They were introduced as Susie and Rachie and Ellie. Their other name was Stowe.
Two or three miners, whose hunger for song was not to be readily appeased, kept bringing the subject to the fore again, however, till at length they were heard. "We're scarin' little Skeezucks, anyhow," said the brawny smith, once more reviving the fire in the forge. "Let's sing 'In the Sweet By-and-By, if all of us know it," suggested a young fellow scarcely more than a lad. "It's awful easy."
But early that night the teamster, Lufkins, was startled by the neighing of a horse, and when he came to the stable, there was the half-blinded animal on which old Jim and tiny Skeezucks had ridden away in the morning the empty saddle still upon his back. The great stout ore-wagons stood in the snow that lay on the Borealis street, with never a horse or a mule to keep them company.
A number of the men of the camp came to visit there again that evening. "We thought little Skeezucks might be lonesome," they explained. So often as the door was opened, the pup and the grave little pilgrim clothed these days in the little white frock Miss Dennihan had made looked up, ever in the hope, of espying again those three red caps. The men saw the wistfulness increase in the baby's face.
All that day little Skeezucks and the pup were waiting, listening, expecting the door to open and the three small girls to reappear. They went to the window time after time and searched the landscape of mountains and snow, Tintoretto standing on his hind-legs for the purpose, and emitting little sounds of puppy-wise worry at the long delay of their three little friends.
"And if only I've got the gumption I'll make him a whole slough of toys and things." "Well, leave us say good-bye to him 'fore you go," said the blacksmith. "Does he savvy shakin' hands?" He gave a little grip to the tiny hand that held the doll, and all the others did the same. Little Skeezucks looked at them gravely, his quaint baby face playing havoc with their rough hearts.
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