He eyed it dreamily.
"Well, Gabe," he observed, "if you must, you must, I suppose.
Seems to me you're leavin' at the most interestin' time.

We've been talkin' about this and that, same as you say, and now you're leavin' just as 'this' has got here.

Maybe if you wait--wait--a--" The sentence died away into nothingness.

He had taken up the brush which he used for the blue paint.

There was a loose bristle in it.
He pulled this out and one or two more came with it.
"Hu-um!" he mused, absently.
Captain Sam was tired of waiting.
"Come, finish her out, Jed--finish her out," he urged.