“Well,” said our man, “but you see we’ll let these fellows go that want to go so bad, and when the Injuns git them they’ll think they’ve got us all and so will be satisfied. However, it is almost too bad to let them go down there and be killed. I guess I’ll go and tell them where the Injuns are.”
“No, no!” cried Pike, “what are you about. If you tell them and stop them from goin’ down, thar won’t be no place safe! Don’t talk so loud or they may take the hint and not go.”
“Come, Pike,” called the fellows who were so anxious to go fishing, “if you intend to go with us, hurry up, or we’ll leave you!”
“Leave me and be dogoned to you!” cried Pike. “I’ve got a pistol now (a lie) and I’m goin’ to stay here and have some fun a fightin’ Injuns ’fore mornin’. Go along with you. I’m all right now!”
Pike’s friends[friends] were evidently amazed at this sudden exhibition of courage on his part. They whispered together for a time; then one of them said: “Gentlemen you may think that you are exhibiting bravery; but, gentlemen, it is not bravery, it is madness.” This earnest speech was greeted with a laugh from our side of the house, and the “fishermen” turned the mules into the trail and were soon out of sight.
CHAPTER LXXII.
THE COMICAL STORY OF PIKE.
As soon as we were left to ourselves we built a roaring fire, in spite of all Pike’s remonstrances. “It’s jist as good a thing as the Injuns want,” said he. “It’s jist showin’ ’em whar we are. We’ll all lose our skelps afore mornin’.”
When we began to think of supper, we found that we had played a little joke on ourselves, in our hurry to get the other fellows away in order to make sure of Pike. We had nothing in the shape of provision except a few pounds of rice, which happened to be on Tom’s horse. We put some of this into a gold-pan and boiled it, but it was rather poor eating without either butter or salt. As we were sitting about the pan scooping up this rice with knives and wooden paddles, Pike said: “I allers knowed I didn’t like rice as well as I thought I did, and now I’m sure of it.” But we had plenty of tobacco and what we lacked in “grub” we made up in smoke. As soon as it grew dark Pike became very restless.
“What was that?” he would say. “Did you hear the rocks rattle upon the hillside?” and he would peer out into the darkness.
Tom now began to sing as loud as he could roar: