“If I hain’t found a way outer this diffikilty now, I’m a buffaler myself,” thought the hunter. “This onsuspectin’ leetle cub wouldn’t a-been more welcome to my camp if he’d been a hangel loaded down with pipes an’ tobacker enough to do me all my life. I’m monstrous tired of herdin’ cattle, ’cause it’s too hard work. I’ve done it fur a hull month, an’ all I’ve got to show fur it is my hoss. The rifle I used, the powder, lead, an’ blankets, all b’long to Wilson, an’ has got to be paid fur. It’ll take me two months longer to ’arn everything I need, an’ I had oughter be on my way to the prairy now. I had kinder thought that mebbe I’d steal the hull kit an’ put out with it, but I’m a’most afeard to do it. Wilson, he’s lightnin’ on wheels when his dander’s riz, an’ he’d have all the settlers in the valley arter me so quick that it would make a feller’s head swim; an’ if they ketched me——”
Here Zeke threw his head over on his right shoulder and made a motion with his hand as if he were winding a rope about his neck and hauling himself up with it—a proceeding which made Guy look at him in great surprise.
“I didn’t say nothin’,” said the hunter.
“I know it,” said Guy, “and I didn’t say anything either.”
Zeke shifted Guy’s rifle to his other shoulder and went on with his soliloquy.
“Now this cub has got a good fittin’ out, a fine rifle, huntin’-knife, blankets, an’ powder’n lead enough to last me as fur as Laramie anyways. When I get thar the twenty-five dollars he’s got will buy me more powder’n lead, an’ the traders will advance the other things I want. I can steal everything he’s got an’ put out as easy as failin’ off a log. He can’t foller me up an’ ketch me, an’ he ain’t got no friends to do it fur him. I would be off this very night, only I must first make things squar’ with Wilson, to keep him off’n my trail. Now how am I goin’ to do it? That’s what I put my thinkin’ cap on fur, an’ that’s what I want to think out.”
While Zeke was turning this problem over in his mind he and his young companion arrived at his camp, which was located under an oak tree near the middle of a beautiful valley. Guy would not have known when he reached it had he not seen his own horse and the mare grazing near a third which was picketed a short distance from the tree, for there was but little to indicate the existence of a camp—nothing, in fact, but a pair of blankets, a small piece of beef hanging from one of the branches of the oak, and a few embers and ashes which marked the spot where a fire had once been kindled.
The hunter at once took possession of the blankets, where he lay gazing intently into the branches above his head, and Guy set about putting the camp in order. It was novel business to him, but he liked to do it, and Zeke, being too lazy to lift a finger unless it was absolutely necessary, was perfectly willing that he should.
Guy first led the mare to the tree, and begun the work of unloading the pack-saddle. The supplies, consisting for the most part of coffee, tea, sugar, flour, and tobacco, were piled about the roots of the tree and covered with branches, as a slight protection from the weather and any prowling beast that might happen along during the hunter’s absence.
Then he relieved the mare of the pack-saddle, removed the saddle and bridle from his own horse, and after staking out both the animals and arranging his bed, proceeded to kindle a fire and make ready his supper.