“Ever hear o’ Long Jim Golden?” he asked. “Well, this is him—the daggonedest trapper on the face o’ the earth. Ain’t seen him in years since he left Circle City in the rush. Where you been, Jim?”
“Trappin’.” Jim looked around at the interested faces. “You tol’ who I am,” he said. “Now tell me who’s your friends, Artie.”
“Sure,” said Art heartily, effecting introductions. “Here we all are,” he concluded, and then his face fell as he added: “but where we’ll be soon, I don’t know, nor what’s to become of us.”
Long Jim looked first at one, then at another, then his eyes roved over the camp.
“How come?” he asked. “No sleds nor dogs nor snowshoes nor nothin’. How come?”
“Sit here by the fire and I’ll tell you, Jim,” said Art. “The rest o’ you, we won’t bother you none with loud voices. We’ll jest whisper-like. You’ll want to turn in and sleep, so go to it.”
Nothing loath, the others with the exception of Jack, who moved to one side so as not to intrude on the two old acquaintances thus strangely reunited, turned in and soon were once more asleep.
Briefly as possible, Art explained to Long Jim the circumstances leading up to their present position. From across the fire, Jack watched them. He saw that Long Jim paid close attention to Art’s narrative and that, indeed, it seemed to affect him strangely. For over his open, rugged features, not constructed to conceal their owner’s moods, swept doubt, uncertainty, indecision, as if within the man was going on a fight between two contending forces. Jack was puzzled. What could Long Jim be thinking of?
Then Long Jim slowly rose to his feet, placing a hand on the shoulder of his companion who remained seated but looking up at him. Jack unconsciously moved closer as the big trapper appeared about to speak. He did not want to eavesdrop, but Long Jim’s expression had puzzled him greatly. What could it mean?
“Artie,” said Long Jim in a louder tone than that in which their whispered conversation had been carried on, and one that reached Jack’s ears, “Artie, my boy,” he said, “I wish you didn’t have them skunks with ye.”