He emphasized his belief in short, biting snatches of words, as though afraid of wearing out his breath or his vocabulary or both.

Maybe his teeth had something to do with it.

Where the two were missing he carried the stem of his pipe, and when he talked the stem clicked, like a Castanet.
David had come at a propitious moment--a "most propichus moment," Hatchett told him.

He had done splendidly that winter.

His bargains with the Indians had been sharp and exceedingly profitable for the Company and as soon as he got his furs off to Fort McMurray on their way to Edmonton he was going on a long journey of inspection, which was his reward for duty well performed.