His rut-skipping car overtook the mud-walloping Gomez-Dep in an hour,

and pulled it out of the mud.

Before Milt slept that night, in his camp three miles from Gopher

Prairie, he went through religious rites.

"Girl like her, she's darn particular about her looks. I'm a sloppy

hound. Used to be snappier about my clothes when I was in high school.

Getting lazy--too much like Mac. Think of me sleeping in my clothes last

night!"

"Mrwr!" rebuked the cat.

"You're dead right. Fierce is the word. Nev' will sleep in my duds

again, puss. That is, when I have a reg'lar human bed. Course camping,

different. But still---- Let's see all the funny things we can do to

us."

He shaved--two complete shaves, from lather to towel. He brushed his

hair. He sat down by a campfire sheltered between two rocks, and fought

his nails, though they were discouragingly crammed with motor grease.

Throughout this interesting but quite painful ceremony Milt kept up a

conversation between himself as the World's Champion Dude, and his cat

as Vallay. But when there was nothing more to do, and the fire was low,

and Vere de Vere asleep in the sleeve of the winter ulster, his

bumbling voice slackened; in something like agony he muttered: "But oh, what's the use? I can't ever be anything but a dub! Cleaning my

nails, to make a hit with a girl that's got hands like hers! It's a long

trail to Seattle, but it's a darn sight longer one to being--being--well,

sophisticated. Oh! And incidentally, what the deuce am I going to do in

Seattle if I do get there?"




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