“He needn’t have been in such a hurry, Pickle,” said the doctor. “I should have liked to have questioned him a little.”
“Yes, uncle. I should like to hear about such things; but it was like his impudence to say that I should be afraid!”
“Yes, my boy; it was rude,” replied the doctor thoughtfully, “Ah! It’s such a chance as might never occur again. A guide like that isn’t always to be picked up.”
“No, uncle,” replied the boy; “and it must be very wonderful in the depths of the forest, where you can get through, because you would be able to row.”
“Yes, my boy; wonderfully interesting,” said the doctor eagerly.
“But we couldn’t go, uncle.”
“Why, Pickle? Why?”
“Because we couldn’t go away and leave the brig like that.”
“No; of course not, my boy. It would be too bad, wouldn’t it? And of course we couldn’t go and trust ourselves to a pack of strangers, eh?”
“We shouldn’t be afraid, should we, uncle?”