“Can’t you come on to New York with us?” asked Paul eagerly. “Oh, I wish you could.”
“New York is a long way off, and a rough old trapper like me wouldn’t know what to do in a big city like that.”
“Yes, you would! I do wish you’d go home with me!”
Amesbury shook his head.
“No, I’m better off here, and I wouldn’t do New York any good.”
“Now I’m wonderin’ how I’ll be gettin’ home,” suggested Dan. “I’ve been wonderin’ an’ wonderin’. I’m all out o’ my reckonin’, goin’ different from th’ way I comes, an’ cruisin’ around.”
“Why,” explained Amesbury, “you’ll travel with Paul until he gets off and leaves you, and then you’ll keep going on the train until the conductor puts you off, and you take another train. I’ll tag you so you can’t go astray,” he added, laughing.
“No,” protested Paul, “Dan’s going right through to New York with me, and my father’ll see that he gets home all right.”
“That’s a good plan,” assented Amesbury. “Then I won’t have to tag you, and you won’t get lost.”