“It’s hot already,” said Brace, whose cheeks were beginning to tingle at the man’s persistency.
“Yes, it is hot, and—I say, ain’t that your brother coming this way?”
“Yes,” said Brace eagerly, and he uttered a sigh of relief as he felt that an unpleasant business would be brought to an end at once.
He soon saw that there was a frown on his brother’s brow, and Sir Humphrey’s voice told plainly what he felt upon the stranger attacking him at once about the business he had in hand.
He heard him courteously to the end, and then, with a few words of sympathy for the disappointment he was causing, plainly told the applicant that his proposal was quite out of the question.
“Humph!” said the American. “Well, I don’t like it, mister. I’ve come all this way to go up one of these rivers, and I don’t mean to be put off. They’re as free for me as for you.”
“Quite so,” said Sir Humphrey, “and you will go your way while I go mine.”
“Ye–e–es, but it seems a pity. I like you two gentlemen, and I don’t think you’d find much harm in me.”
“I have nothing against you, Mr—Mr—”
“Don’t you mind about the ‘mister.’ My name’s P Franklyn Briscoe, squire, and I should like to be friends with you.”