“He’s honest; thet’s one reason; I like honesty in any one. An’ I give ye fa’r warnin’, next time ye dar’ to do a mean thing to him, I’ll walk into ye like chalk. D’ye h’ar what I say? Understand me, too. I won’t hev no man in my company that won’t give the others a fair show. And ye’ve been hard on thet poor feller ever sense he cum hyar with us. Now stop it.”
“Is it any thing to you?”
“Ye bet it is. Ef it ain’t I’ll make it so mind thet.”
CHAPTER XI.
THE QUICKSAND.
They set to work at once and built another raft. After it was done, Jules mounted and rode away to the east. At any other time, Ben would have questioned him with regard to his absence. But Millicent gave him a sign which he understood, and he let him go without a word. The moment he was gone she came to the old trapper and revealed to him enough to excite Ben’s anger and scorn of the treacherous rascal.
“Don’t say a word to him. I gave my promise to remain silent about it while he remained quiet. He has broken his pledge, but do not let him know that we suspect him.”
“The gal is right,” said Ben. “Don’t let him know. But we kin watch the devil clust; an’ when he gives us a chaince, down with him.”
“You will do nothing rashly, I hope. Remember, much depends on that.”
“I can’t keep my hands off him,” responded Bentley.
They had just prepared dinner when Jules returned, coming, not up the river, but out of the pass to the east.