“It war a’most night when we went to the quarters, an’ arter we had eat our supper, we smoked our pipes, spread our blankets, an’ went to sleep. How long I slept I don’t know; but I waked up sometime durin’ the night, an’ thought I heered somebody talkin’ in a low voice. I listened, an’, sure enough, thar war two fellers jest outside of the quarters plannin’ somethin’. I heered one of ’em ask:
“‘When shall we do it?’
“‘Time enough to think of that when we git to the mountains,’ said the other.
“‘But ar’ you sartin’ he’s goin’ to take it with him?’
“‘In course! I heered him say so!’
“‘Wal, then, it’s all right. But we must be mighty keerful, ’cause our boys don’t like the looks of them last fellers that jined the comp’ny. So keep a still tongue in your head.’ They done some more plannin’ and talkin’, but I couldn’t hear what it war. Then they moved away in different directions, an’ purty quick somebody come into the quarters, easy like, an’ laid down on his blanket, but it war so dark I couldn’t see who it war. Wal, I thought the matter all over, an’ soon made up my mind that the varlets had been plannin’ an’ talkin’ ag’in the trader and his money-bags; but when I told the boys of it the next mornin’, they all laughed at me, an’ said the cap’n warn’t fool enough to tote so much money to the mountains with him when he could leave it at the fort, whar it would be safe. They told me I had better not speak of it ag’in, fur if it got to the trader’s ears, he might think I war a greeny. Wal, I war quite a youngster, that’s a fact; but it warn’t long afore it come out that I had more sense nor any of ’em.”
[CHAPTER XV.]
The Outlaw’s Escape.
