“I haven’t any trick to try. I’m hungry and I’m tired. If they’ll give me some supper and let me spend the night in camp, that’s all I want. I’ll leave to-morrow morning if they want me to. If they will let me, though, I’ll stay and do my share, and be glad to do it.”
“I can’t say what they’ll do. The only thing for you to do is to try it.”
“Maybe you’ll go ahead and find out for me?” suggested Rat, his voice becoming almost a whine in his eagerness.
“No, come along. Go back up the stream about a mile and you’ll find a place where you can jump across. If you want to you can come over on this bank now.”
“I don’t want to,” said Rat quickly, glancing at the rushing torrent, as if it was threatening him. “I’ll walk back up the bank and wait for you. How long will you be?”
“I don’t know,” said Reuben. “I wasn’t coming back this way anyway. I’m going to visit the traps and set them. I have brought bait with me and I’ll fix every trap before I leave.”
“Would you like to have me help you?” inquired Rat, striving to speak pleasantly.
Reuben hesitated a moment and then said: “Yes. You had better come across here, though, and not wait to go back up the stream.”
In response to the suggestion the huge man, with many groans and protestations, finally entered the stream, and as the depth of the water increased he held high above his head the two pistols with which he was armed. The sight was ludicrous and Reuben laughed heartily. As the man came nearer the bank on which he was standing Reuben’s heart almost misgave him for the invitation he had given. Nor was it long before Reuben had greater cause for regret that he had been willing for the huge Rat to join him.