Seeing that the foreman began to take a deeper interest in Tom after that, Uncle Ezra introduced him, and he failed to say that Tom had got into a "little trouble" down in Mississippi where he used to live, and had come out West to get clear of it. Uncle Ezra didn't think that was any of his business. He said that Tom wanted to see new sights, and he reckoned he had already had his fill of them, having been lost in the mountains and shot the Red Ghost besides. Now, he was going into partnership with Elam after the nugget, and Uncle Ezra thought he had a boy who could be depended upon. The foreman shook hands with Tom, and said he was glad to see him. Then he wanted to know whether they had eaten supper yet.
"Well, no," replied Uncle Ezra. "You see, we started from our camp up there sooner than we expected. Elam has got a map telling him where to look to find his nugget."
"Ah, get out!" said the foreman. He had heard so many things about a "map" that he did not believe a word of it.
"Well, he has, sure enough. It came from the man who tried to rob him. And you haven't heard anything about the Indians, have you?"
"Indians!" exclaimed the foreman. "Have they broken out?"
"Just give your knife to Elam and sit down," said Uncle Ezra. "It appears to me that we have heard of a heap of things that you don't know anything about."
The man gave Elam his knife, which he had in his hand to begin work with upon the ham he had laid upon the table, and sat down.
"I wondered all the time what was the matter with Elam's hand," said he. "I hope the Indians didn't shoot him."
"Didn't they, though?" said Elam. "You just wait and hear Uncle Ezra tell the story."
It was a long narrative that the old frontiersman had to tell, and I saw that Elam was so much interested in it that he forgot all about the supper, and I got up and assisted him; and that was all he wanted. He left me to do the work, and sat down. The foreman heard Uncle Ezra through without interruption, and then turned and gave Elam a good looking over. After that he got up and assisted me with the supper.