He never was no kid.

He was born a full-grown man.

An' I tell you a man had to be a man in them days.

This wa'n't no effete civilization like it's come to be now." Bettles paused long enough to put his arm in a proper bear-hug around Daylight's neck.
"When you an' me mushed into the Yukon in the good ole days, it didn't rain soup and they wa'n't no free-lunch joints.

Our camp fires was lit where we killed our game, and most of the time we lived on salmon-tracks and rabbit-bellies--ain't I right ?" But at the roar of laughter that greeted his inversion, Bettles released the bear-hug and turned fiercely on them.