“Yas; the boys are near ready, and they won’t wait. What yer goin’ to do, Jarsey, when we leave you ’mong the reds?”
“I have told you, Biddon, that my sole purpose is to seek out Nat Todd. I have given you an account of my meeting and partial flight with Imogene, the captive, who has told me of his whereabouts. She is now waiting at Death Rock for me, and is as confident as I am that I shall bring Nat with me. These Indians, believing Imogene to be with the other tribe, will not suspect her flight unless a runner arrives here and acquaints them with it; but I have little fear of that, as I have no expectation of remaining any length of time.”
“Wal, as that little gal has seed Nat, of course he’s kickin’. Bless her soul! I’d like to see her sweet face, but I s’pose the brigade can’t spare me just now. Jarsey, I’ve my s’picions that that other sperit is somewhere out toward Oregon, ’mong a tribe of redskins. I’ve had my s’picions I say, but I’ll say nothin’ more now ’cept to kind of hint I may take a tramp out in them parts some day to see ef thar be signs of her.”
“I sincerely hope that such may be the case, although I cannot be as sanguine as you are. Should you rescue her, the debt of gratitude—”
“There! that’ll do, ogh!” interrupted Biddon, imperatively. “Such things go agin my stummick, and I don’t want to hear ’em. As you’re on the track of Nat, go, fur he may be somewhar yit, in spite of the fears I have that he isn’t, arter all.”
“Rest assured I shall leave no stone unturned. I shall seek him at once.”
“And when you finds him, jest tell him old Bill Biddon is about, and ready to hunt savages with him any time, ef he don’t git behind me when shootin’ time comes. Ogh! ogh!” and the trapper enjoyed his joke merrily. He stopped suddenly and looked at the brigade. A few moments more and they would be under way.
“Wal, Jarsey, talkin’ time’s gittin’ mighty short. I’d like to talk longer, but can’t do it this time. Hope we’ll have a time down in the States ’fore long.”
“I sincerely trust we shall,” I answered, unwilling to turn away from the hopeful picture which he was drawing for himself.
“And we’ll have Nat ’long with us,” he added.