Костер

           Well,hewasboundtofreezeanyway,andhemightaswelltakeitdecently. Withthisnew-foundpeaceofmindcamethefirstglimmeringsofdrowsiness. Agoodidea,hethought,tosleepofftodeath. Itwasliketakingananaesthetic. Freezingwasnotsobadaspeoplethought. Therewerelotsworsewaystodie. 

           Hepicturedtheboysfindinghisbodynextday. Suddenlyhefoundhimselfwiththem,comingalongthetrailandlookingforhimself. And,stillwiththem,hecamearoundaturninthetrailandfoundhimselflyinginthesnow. Hedidnotbelongwithhimselfanymore,foreventhenhewasoutofhimself,standingwiththeboysandlookingathimselfinthesnow. Itcertainlywascold,washisthought. WhenhegotbacktotheStateshecouldtellthefolkswhatrealcoldwas. Hedriftedonfromthistoavisionoftheold-timeronSulphurCreek. Hecouldseehimquiteclearly,warmandcomfortable,andsmokingapipe. 

           "Youwereright,oldhoss;youwereright,"themanmumbledtotheold-timerofSulphurCreek. 

           Thenthemandrowsedoffintowhatseemedtohimthemostcomfortableandsatisfyingsleephehadeverknown. Thedogsatfacinghimandwaiting. Thebriefdaydrewtoacloseinalong,slowtwilight. Therewerenosignsofafiretobemade,and,besides,neverinthedog’sexperiencehaditknownamantositlikethatinthesnowandmakenofire.