“But how on earth did you meet each other, and where in the world have you been?” asked Marion of Lewis, when they were floating down the river again, and a reserved relationship had established itself between Jimmy and his father.
“Been chasing along the bank,” replied the boy. “I ran by you last night. Didn’t you stop somewhere?”
“We stopped and went back to look for you,” replied Captain Royce.
“That was when I went by you, and didn’t know it!” exclaimed Lewis. “Then after we had run a long way, Sam Hokomoke climbed up that high bluff and saw ye comin’ down-stream. And I tell ye I was glad!”
“But how came you ashore in the first place?” exclaimed Moses. “Did you jump ashore when the tree fell on us?”
“No, I didn’t!” replied Lewis, shortly. “I didn’t have a chance. I went head foremost into the river! But that wasn’t the first of it,” Lewis added. “The whole bluff slid down to begin with, and Sam Hokomoke with it.”
“Didn’t I tell ye that there was someone up there?” Lewis interrupted himself to say to Moses. “Didn’t I say so?”
“You said you believed there was a buffalo up there,” Moses admitted.
“I said ‘something’ was up there,” insisted Lewis. “Well, ’twas Hokomoke”—somehow it seemed impossible to call him by the name of Claiborne. “He tossed them little stones down to attract our attention, just for fun, but when the bank caved in he was as surprised as anybody, I guess, for down he came with it, head first; but he gave a mighty jump, and landed on the ark roof, within three feet of me. I thought he was going to scalp me, and I clinched him—for there was no chance to get up my gun.”
“Was that when you said, ‘You red scamp, you?’” exclaimed Moses.