“Golly!” ejaculated Scip. “I wish we could git somethin’ to eat. I’m jest clean starved.”
“Of course! Who ever knew a nigger that had enough?” responded Vic. “Wait till it’s light. I ain’t filled tew overflowing with vittals myself, and mean tew walk into a butcher-shop soon.”
“How did you contrive to get the horses, Nat?” asked Kent.
“Oh, I jest went round kinder cautious, an’ found they’s thar whar we placed ’em, an’ then I scouted round an’ see’d thet the reds warn’t near enough to hear, an’ led ’em out. Ez I couldn’t take but one at a time, it took me quite a spell, but arter I got our four out, an’ safe in a thicket, I jest detarmined tewr have another one. So I begun lookin’ round, an’ I found the Injuns’ hosses out a piece from the creek, an’ jest quietly took one on ’em. I reckon they’ll blow some when they find we’ve gone an’ took the best hoss they had, but thet won’t disturb us in pertic’lar.”
“It’s rather remarkable that they hadn’t found ours before this time, isn’t it?” asked Kent.
“Wal, no, I dunno as ’tis,” replied Nat. “Ye see, thet’s a plaguey neat place tew put ’em. Ye can’t git in only one way, an’ thet’s rather on t’other side from the cave. Gallinippers, but the hosses war glad tew see me! Every one of ’em showed they war glad to see somebody ag’in.”
“I’m all-fired mad tew think thet the pesky varmints hev discovered thet cave,” said Vic. “It’s teetotally tew bad. Now it’s jest gittin’ in the edge of the best trappin’ time, an’ tew hev them upset our plans in this way is enough tew rile anybody.”
“What direction are we going?” asked Marion.
“North-east,” replied Wild Nat. “We’ll strike the emigrant trail a leetle arter sunrise, ef we hev good luck.”
Steadily throughout the night the little party kept on, and at sunrise reached the Sweetwater river. This they forded, and half an hour later they struck the trail, a little further down the river.