"You go on an' tack out your hide, an' I'll ride over and git you some." "How'll you carry it," said Franklin, "if you go on horseback ?" "Kerry it!" said Curly contemptuously.

"How'd you s'pose I'd kerry it?
Why, in my hat, o' course!" and he rode off without deigning further explanation.

Franklin remained curious regarding this episode until, an hour later, Curly rode up to the house again, carrying his hat by the brim, with both hands before him, and guiding his pony with his knees.

He had, indeed, a large lump of white, soft clay, which he carried by denting in the crown of his hat and crowding the clay into the hollow.

After throwing down the clay and slapping the hat a few times on his knee, he seemed to think his headgear not injured by this transaction.
"There's yer blamed clay," said he; "it'll be a good while before you need it, but there she is." The two were joined at this juncture by Battersleigh, who had come over to pay a morning visit, and who now stood looking on with some interest at the preparations in progress.
"It's makin' ye a robe is it, Ned, me boy ?" said he.