His habit was to stay in his bunk of mornings until well after daylight.

To this there could be no objection--except on the part of the cook, who was supposed to attend to his business himself--for the scaler was active in his work, when once he began it, and could keep up with the skidding.

But now he displayed a strong antipathy to the north wind on the plains.

Of course he could not very well shirk the work entirely, but he did a good deal of talking on the very cold mornings.
"I don't pose for no tough son-of-a-gun," said he to Radway, "and I've got some respect for my ears and feet.

She'll warm up a little by to-morrow, and perhaps the wind'll die.