“Horace,” sez I, “Horace Walpole Bradford.”
Spider’s face changed expression a half dozen times in two moments; but he didn’t have any more kicks; so we went back to Eugene, and took him up to a deserted cabin, where he was to stay until needed. I left him and Spider to fix up the cabin, while I went back to the Dot to fix up Horace. Horace had a lot o’ money; but it did go again’ me to make him pay for Eugene’s outfit by puttin’ up a practical joke on him. Still, I felt called upon to square it up with Eugene, and this seemed the fairest way.
When I reached the Dot, Horace came forth to meet me; and he was so glad to see me ’at I purt’ nigh gave up the scheme; but I had gone too far to back out now, so I acted cool, and cut him short with my answers.
After supper I got Tank started on bear. He saw I had something up my sleeve, so he talked bear until Horace’s mouth began to water. “I’d give a hundred dollars, just to get a shot at a bear,” sez Horace.
“This ain’t the time o’ the year to hunt bear,” sez I. “Food’s so common at this season that a bear spends most of his time loafin’; and it’s hard to get sight o’ one. Course, if you was to go to a professional hunter, he’d know where bears were spendin’ their vacation; but it might take a month for one of us to root one out.”
“Do you know of any professional hunters?” sez he.
I didn’t say nothin’, and Tank told of some he knew several hundred miles off. After Tank had talked himself out, I mentioned careless like that old Pierre La Blanc was livin’ less ’n twenty miles away; but that I doubted if he’d take a bear-huntin’ job. I went on to state that he had money saved up, and it would take a sight o’ coin to tempt him.
“I’d give five hundred dollars for a shot at a real grizzly,” sez Horace.
“Did you ever use a rifle?” sez I.
“Ask Tank,” sez Horace.