“I expect to be over to the fort in a few days, arter hosses to take my peltries away, so I won’t say good-by to you, only I wish you good luck, and keep your eye open for varmints.”
Harry returned the salutation, in his pleasant manner, and then, as both he and Little Rifle waved the old man farewell, they turned their faces westward and started on their memorable journey to Fort Abercrombie, neither party, in his wildest dreamings, suspecting what a passing strange adventure should befall them ere they were to catch sight of the Stars and Stripes, that waved from the flagstaff of this frontier post.
When they had reached a point about a mile distant, a very perceptible change in the sky became apparent. The sun was hid by clouds that swiftly drifted up from the Cascade Range, and the air which had been mild and balmy, rapidly grew colder, until the lads were compelled to walk quite briskly to keep up the circulation and warmth of the body. The wind blew strongly, whistling and moaning among the trees like the blasts of winter, and there was every indication of a great elemental disturbance.
“There is a storm coming, as sure as fate,” said Harry, looking up at the threatening sky.
“And I shouldn’t wonder if it were a snow storm,” added Little Rifle. “I have seen them come up as suddenly as this before. Hadn’t we better go back, and stay in our lodge over night?”
“I would rather go on,” replied Harry, who dreaded the annoyance of being covertly watched by the old trapper, for an indefinite number of hours. “If the storm becomes too severe, why we can go into camp and wait until it blows over. Do you think it will amount to much?”
Little Rifle looked up to the sky, with the air and manner of a weather prophet, and replied:
“No; I think it is a sudden flurry, or a squall that will be over in an hour; but you notice how chilly it is; we ought to be provided with blankets, at any rate.”
“I can stand it if you can.”
“I only spoke on your account,” said Little Rifle as they started forward. “We can walk fast, and that will keep us warm, and if it gets too cold for us to stand it, we will crawl in among the rocks somewhere and build a rousing fire.”