“Thet ur preezactly whet I mean, young fellur. No—not adzactly thet eyther. One o’ you I didn’t say: whet I sayed wur, that this hyur trapper, Rube Rawlins o’ the Rocky Mountains, kud slide inter yander campmint jest like greased lightnin through a gooseberry-bush, ’ithout e’er an Injun seein ’im; an thet, too, ef the red-skinned vamints hed more eyes in thur heads than they hev lice; which, accordin’ to this child’s reck’nin’, ’ud guv ivery squaw’s son o’ the gang as many peepers es thur ur spots in a peecock’s tail, an a wheen over to breed, I kalkerlate. No plan to git inter thur camp ’ithout bein’ seed! Wagh! yur gettin’ green, Bill Garey!”
“How can it be accomplished, Rube? Pray, explain! You know how impatient—”
“Don’t git unpayshint, young fellur! thet ur’s no use whetsomdiver. Yu’ll need payshinse, an a good grist o’ thet ur, afore ye kin warm yur shins at yander fires; but ’ee kin do it, an in the nick o’ time too, ef yu’ll go preezactly accordin’ to whet old Rube tells ye, an keep yur eye well skinned and yur teeth from chatterin’: I knows yu’ll do all thet. I knows yur weasel to the back o’ yur neck, an kin whip yur weight in wild cat any day i’ the year. Now? D’yur agree to follur my direekshuns!”
“I promise faithfully to act according to your advice.”
“Thet ur sensible sayed—durnation’d sensible. Wal, then, I’ll gi’ ye my device.”
As Rube said this, he moved forward to the edge of the timber, making a sign for Garey and myself to follow.
On reaching its outer edge—but still within cover—he dropped down upon his knees, behind some evergreen bushes.
I imitated his example, and knelt upon his right, while Garey crouched down on the left.
Our eyes were directed upon the Indian camp, of which, and the plain around it, we had a good view—as good as could be obtained under the light of a brilliant moon, alas! too brilliant!
After we had surveyed the scene for some moments in silence, the old trapper condescended to begin the conversation.