Tim stood back. In the absence of Scarred Eagle, Revel was a sort of leader, and all liked him. But Tim shot fierce glances at Hulet, who smiled tauntingly.
“Niver mind, aneconde,” said Tim. “We’ll hove dthis out some time, an’ though y’ur size is something in y’ur favor, I’ll make ye respict me name if not swalle y’ur words. See if I don’t now, ye ill-mannered baist!”
“Hold up, men,” interrupted Revel. “Don’t run it into a quarrel. That’s foolish.”
“I don’t want ’er quarrel, nor have no diffikilty,” said Hulet. “But he begun it. I own I made a mistake ’bout the distance we was talkin’ of, ’cos I didn’t at fust think.”
“Co-cor-course; Hulet knew better ef he’d had time ter th-th-think. He don’t allus, ye know, bo-bo-boyes. T’other day he mis-mis-mistook an Injun fur a black b-b-bear, jest ’cos he didn’t hev time ter th-th-think!”
The stuttering speaker was a tall, spare man, with a whimsical face, eyes keen as a hawk’s and almost as small. His sally was greeted by a round of subdued laughter, from all except Hulet, whose face showed more signs of anger than had been evinced during his renconter with the Irishman.
Hulet was not personally well liked by his companions. He had been with them but a few days. He pretended to hail from one of the border settlements, and claimed to be a scout of much experience. One or two of the rangers held him in positive distrust. He seemed used to the forest; yet at times he made strange blunders for a scout. The one referred to by the stutterer actually happened, two days previously, while they were hovering in the rear of a Huron party.
“Wal, laugh, ef it suits ye!” said Revel, fiercely. “When it comes my turn, I’ll let some on ye know!”
“What’s that ye say?” spoke Revel, turning sharply upon him. He thought he detected something of the nature of a threat in the other’s tone.
“You yerself wouldn’t want a mistake flung inter y’ur face every time any thing comes up!” said Hulet. “But let it pass. A chap that stutters is allus gittin’ off sunthin’ to make a laugh,” and he tried to look good-naturedly toward the stutterer, Joe Hill.