'It will take a month longer, at least.'
Baldy stood a few minutes in thought.
'See here, younker, we're on our way to the 'diggin's,' and spect to be thar all summer. Ef the red-skins git any ways troublesome, I'm comin' back arter this y'ar covey. Ef yer don't want to sell him, yer needn't. Ef I bought him, it ain't likely I'd run him long afore I'd bust his b'iler, or blow my own head off.'
'Just what I thought when you were trying to persuade me to sell it,' interrupted the boy.
'Then, if he got the cramp in any of his legs, I wouldn't know how to tie it up ag'in, and thar we'd be.'
'I am glad to see you take such a sensible view of it,' smiled Johnny.
'So, I'm goin' on West, as I said, with two fools besides myself, and we're goin' to stay thar till yer get this old thing finished; and then I'm comin' after you to take a ride out thar.'
'That would suit me very well,' replied the boy, his face lighting up with more pleasure than he had shown. 'I would be very glad to make a trip on the prairies.'
'Wal, look fur me in about six weeks.'
And with this parting, the hunter was let out the door, and disappeared, while Johnny resumed his work.