“Yes, sir.”
“Then just squat yourself on the ground and tell us all about this scrape you ’pear to have got yourself into.”
Our hero did as requested, giving a succinct account of what we have told the reader, beginning the narration at precisely the same point in which we did, and carrying it up to his “stepping off” the bank. The two trappers listened respectfully until he was done, when one of them gave an expressive grunt.
“'Younker, you don’t look as if you had two faces, and I make no doubt you’ve told us the truth; but it was qua’r you should happen to be trampin’ alone so far away from the settlement.”
“I was with a party of hunters this morning, but became separated from them and was on my return to the camp when I was shut off in the manner I have told you.”
“Do you want to get back to them?”
“I aint particular,” laughed the young hunter, with a peculiar expression. “It aint likely they have waited an hour for me when they discovered my absence, and so I should be at a loss to know where to look for them.”
“Wal, it’s all the same to us,” said the trapper; “you don’t look like a scamp, and you can stay with us, if you want to do so.”
“You see, furthermore, that I have lost my horse, and shall have to take it afoot until I can buy or capture another.”
“We can fix that up easy enough,” grunted the trapper. “My hoss Blue Blazes can carry all that can get on his back, and we can give you a lift till you can scare up an animile of some kind or other.”