“Cannot be!” repeated March in a tone of exasperation, for he felt that this was an unwarrantable piece of caprice on the part of his friend; “surely you don’t claim to be chief of the Rocky Mountains! If I choose to come an’ spend the winter in this region, you have no right to prevent me. And if I offer to bring you furs and venison, besides pretty good company, will ye be such a surly knave as to refuse me a corner of your cave?”
“Nay, lad. Right welcome would ye be, with or without furs or venison; but I mean to leave the cave—to quit this part of the country altogether. The fact is, I’m tired of it, an’ want a change.”
“Very good, all right, an’ what’s to hinder my going with you? I’m fond o’ change myself. I’d as soon go one way as another.”
Dick shook his head. “It’s o’ no use, March, I’ve my own reasons for desirin’ to travel alone. The thing cannot be.”
This was said in such a decided tone that March looked at Mary in dismay. He gathered no consolation from her countenance, however.
“March,” said Dick firmly, “I’m sorry to grieve ye, lad, but it can’t be helped. All I can say is, that if ye choose to come back here next summer you’ll be heartily welcome, and I’ll engage that ye’ll find me here; but I’m quite sartin’ ye won’t want to come.”
“Won’t want to come! I’ll bet ye a hundred thousand million dollars I’ll want to come, ay, and will come,” cried March.
“Done!” said Dick, seizing the youth’s hand, “an’ Mary’s a witness to the wager.”
It is needless to say that the conversation did not rest here. The greater part of that night, and during great part of the week that March remained there, he continued to press the Wild Man of the West to alter his purpose, but without avail. Each day he passed with his comrades, hunting and trapping, and each night he bade them adieu and returned to sup and sleep in the cave, and, of course, persecuted Dick all that time; but Dick was immovable.
Of course, the trappers renewed their attempts to get March to show them Dick’s abode, but he persistently refused, and they were too good-natured to annoy him, and too honest to follow his trail, which they might easily have done, had they been so disposed.