‘Little Toots, my little b’y Toots,’ went on the man with a catch in his voice. ‘The on’y one me and Jenny ever had. D’ye remember, Eph, after we thort he war gittin’ well from the dipthery, how ye useter come and see him, and bring him toys ye’d made yerself. One time it war a little gun, one time it war a Noah’s ark ye’d cut him outern a block er pine, and another time it war a Jack-in-the-box thet useter frighten him every time it come out, and then make him larf till we thort he’d never stop?’ The rough voice died away in a sob. ‘I don’t see what yer meanin’ is,’ said Ephraim uncomfortably, for he hated to be reminded of his little charities. ‘Don’t ye? I’ll larn ye soon. When we quit Staunton, Jenny and Toots and me, the little b’y he sorter sickened after the old home, and he got weaker and weaker. We’d lost everything, Eph, and we couldn’t git him the little comforts he wanted, the pore lamb, and thar we hed ter sit and see him wastin’ before our eyes, me and Jenny. Eph, I tell ye, he war always singin’ out fer you. “I want Grizzly,” says he. “I want him ter bring me a toy.” And when he died, Eph, he war jest huggin’ yer old Jack-in-the-box ter his breast, ez ef he loved it too much ter leave it behind him. So we put it in with him, Eph, fer we couldn’t bear ter take it from him.’ His voice choked again, and he stopped abruptly. ‘Pore little Toots!’ murmured Ephraim sympathetically. ‘And so ye lost him, Jake?’ ‘We did,’ answered Jake; ‘and we thort our hearts war broke, we did, me and Jenny. And then ter-night, jest now when the corporal brought ye along and sot ye in thar with me ter look after ye, I couldn’t believe it fer a spell. And then I thort how good ye’d been ter little Toots, makin’ his little life thet happy, and how fond he war er ye and all. And I sez ter myself, I dunno what Eph Sykes hez been up ter; but I reckon ef harm comes ter him while I’m hyar ter keep it off’n him, I’ll never be able ter look little Toots in the face when wanst I meet him again. Now ye kin tell, Grizzly, ef I’m yer friend or ef I ain’t.’ Ephraim made no answer; but in the dark he groped for Jake’s hand and wrung it hard. ‘I’ve got a plan, Eph,’ said Jake, returning the pressure. ‘It’s ez simple ez hoein’ a row. On’y we must be quick.’ ‘No, Jake, I can’t let ye do it,’ answered Ephraim at last. ‘Ye can’t help me ’thout hurtin’ yerself, and I can’t save my life et the price er another man’s, ’ceptin’ in a fair fight. It’s good er ye, Jake, and it’s like what I remember ye in the old days. But I can’t let ye do it; though I’m obleeged ter ye, all the same.’ ‘Shucks!’ exclaimed Jake impatiently. ‘Don’t ye consarn yerself over me. I reckon I like a whole skin ez well ez any man. Thar’ll be a court-martial and thet; but they won’t be able to prove anythin’. Don’t waste time. Hev ye got a knife?’ ‘On’y a little wan,’ replied Ephraim, yielding to his persuasion.