Part 16 (1/2)
”That she were,” agreed dick, ”wonderful handsome--an' wonderful wild-lookin', too”
”Th' poor lad!” said Ed, after a pause ”He were buildin' th' tilt yonder, thinkin' o' th' good furrin' he were t' have th' winter, an'
now he's gone I'm not knowin', dick, how t' tell his mother You'll have t' tell she, dick; I couldn't stand t' tell she”
”No,” objected dick, ”you were goin' an' tellin' she th' tiets Bob, an' you kno You'ht better breakin' bad news than me, Ed I'd just be bawlin' with she, an' she cries; an' she sure will, for 'twill break her heart this tione”
”Maybe none of us'll be havin' th' chanct,” broke in Bill ”They ens, and whilst we catches some of un, th'
others won't be sittin' quiet”
”Ed an' ns,” assured dick, as they arose to continue their journey ”They ain't been no signs so far, exceptin'
signs o' th' poor lads an' th' Injun lass, an' she were passin' in th'
night, by th' oldness o' her footin'”
”They ain't no danger o' findin' Injuns here, Bill,” added Ed ”This is what they calls th' ha'nted country, an' they'd be too scairt o'
ghosts an' th' devils they thinks is runnin' round loose here t' risk theirselves”
The long detours made necessary without the assistance of a canoe so far delayed their progress that, though they had not slackened the rapid pace set in the ht found them upon the shores of one of the intermediate lakes, with little e trail behind thee of the forest, as a reflector for their ca breeze that had sprung up with the setting sun; and, all ht, they cooked and ate their supper
Then they lighted their pipes and lounged back upon the bed of spruce boughs under the lean-to, speculating upon the morrow, and the probability of an encounter with the Indians
”What's that, now?” exclai a position beyond the glow of the fire, he stood for severalintently out upon the waters of the wide lake not yet lighted by the belated ain! Did you make un out, dick?” he asked, as dick and Bill, following Ed's exalow, joined him
”No, I weren't makin' nothin' out,” answered dick
”There were somethin' there on th' water,” Ed stated positively, when they presently returned to the lean-to
”What were it, now? What were it like?” asked dick
”I seen un twict, an' 'twere lookin' t' h I'm not sayin' so for sure,” explained Ed
”I seen un,” corroborated Bill, ”but whether 'twere a canoe or no, I'm noways sure--'twere so far out”
”If 'twere a canoe, 'twere Injuns,” declared Ed, ”an' if 'twere Injuns they was seein' our fire, an' they'll be up t' some devilment, now, before day”
”Be you sartin', now, you seen so?” asked dick, a note of scepticism in his voice
”Sure an' sartin',” insisted Ed ”'Twere h I'm noways sure”
”'Twere just a loon orto believe
”'Twere movin', an' 'twere lookin' like a canoe t' eese either 'Twere too big”
”An' we better be gettin' out o' here, too,” advised Ed ”If 'twere Injuns--an' I'm noways sure 'twere or 'tweren't--they seen th' fire, an' th' dirty devils'll be droppin' us off an' we stays here”
”Aye,” agreed dick, ”we'll be movin' on You an' Bill both seein'