“I saw him first!” declared Carl.
“All right, you may have him!”
The intruder came forward and stood for a moment without speaking, regarding the boys curiously in the meantime.
“Well,” Jimmie said in a moment, “what about it?”
“I thought you’d be back,” said the other.
“Where are the savages?” asked Carl. “Didn’t you bump into a war party here?”
The stranger smiled and pointed to the tents.
“I am a truthful man,” he said. “I wouldn’t tell a lie for a dollar. I might tell six for five dollars, but I wouldn’t tell one lie for any small sum. My name is Sam Weller, and I’m a tramp.”
“That’s no lie!” exclaimed Jimmie. “Unless appearances are deceiving!”
“Perhaps,” Carl suggested, “we’d better be getting out of here. The natives may return.”