“War his darter, Little Lina, ther purtiest an’ sweetest gal in all the Maine woods,” the guide made answer. “When he sez as haow I never cud hev her with all her carin’ fur me so much, I jest up an’ run away with her; an’ thet’s why Ole Cale, he hates me wuss nor cold pizen!”
CHAPTER VI.
TAKING A RISK FOR THE SAKE OF LITTLE LINA.
Thad understood it all now, and the knowledge gave him a thrill. He thrust out his hand to the young guide, with boyish enthusiasm.
“Shake, Jim!” he exclaimed. “I just know you did what any decent man would have done. And so you managed to run away with the old man’s daughter, did you? Was she all he had?”
“On’y Little Lina; an’ he believed the sun rose an’ set in her, like. They cud all say as Cale Martin war a bad man, an’ he war rough as they make ’em, sumtimes; but he’d a laid down his life fur thet gal, any day. I was dead sorry tuh hev tuh do hit; but I knowed he’d never give in, an’ I jest cudn’t live without her. We gut outen this deestrict while Cale war off on a hunt, an’ I hain’t never seen hide nor hair o’ him sense. But he sent me word thet ef so be I ever kim back tuh the old stampin’ grounds, he hed it in fuh me, all right.”
“How long ago was that, Jim?”
“Nigh a yeah an’ er half now,” the other replied.
“And of course your wife has often wished she could see her father again, Jim?”
The guide groaned.