“Yon needn’t worry about that,” said the squatter slowly, and in a tone which he meant to be very impressive. “If I don’t find the money the very first time tryin’, I’ll tumble onto the feller who knows where it is; you may be sure of that.”
Sam grew frightened again, while Jake shut his teeth hard and said to himself:
“That means me. But he won’t[won’t] tumble onto me agin, I bet you, ’cause when he gets on t’other side the lake I won’t be within reach of him. I’m goin’ to do something that’ll make pap’s eyes bung out as big as your fist when he hears of it. I ain’t goin’ to be pounded for nothing, an’ that’s all about it.”
“Yes,” continued Matt, who felt more confident of success now than at any other time during his search for the money. “I shall make a go of it by this hour to-morrer; you hear me? Jakey, you remember the old blanket Tom Bigden give us that I used fur a knapsack to carry our grub in, don’t you? Well, I dropped it when we was getting’ ready to make our rush on Joe’s camp. It’s up there in the woods about two hundred yards from here. Mind the place, don’t you? Well, go an’ get it.”
“I’ll go,” said Jake to himself, “an’ it’ll be the last arrant I go on for one while, I bet you. What’s the use of me goin’ over on t’other side of the lake, when the men I want to see is on this side? I’ll go, but I won’t never come back. Pap ain’t goin’ to find that money, an’ he ain’t goin’ to give me another lickin’ like he done to-day, nuther.”
If Matt could have seen and interpreted the expression that Jake’s face wore as he crawled away in obedience to this order, he might have called him back and gone himself or sent Sam; but he was too busy filling his pipe to notice the boy, and besides it had never occurred to him that he could drive any of his family to rebellion. But he had done it, for Jake never came back to him. He seized the blanket when he found it, threw it over his shoulder, and struck out for Indian Lake.
“He can go hungry for all I care,” muttered Jake, halting now and then and looking back to make sure he was not pursued. “He’ll go hungry many a time this winter, if the law don’t catch him, for that lazy Sam of our’n wouldn’t dare show his head out of camp after dark; so who’s goin’ to steal grub for him to eat?”
Having determined upon this course, Jake held to it with surprising resolution, and his father and his brother waited long for his coming. At last Matt became angry at his unaccountable absence, but he never once suspected Jake’s fidelity.
“Mebbe he’s gone an’ got himself ketched by them fellers,” suggested Sam.
“More likely he’s gone an’ lost himself or missed the place where I left the blanket,” growled the squatter. “I do think we’d best be lookin’ into the matter.”