“They didn’t want an honest man on my job—but I spoiled their game, just the same. Please not ask any more about my service. The business isn’t ended yet.”
“I hope you’ll win!” exclaimed Ted, impulsively.
“It isn’t myself I care about. I hate to see a few rich thieves, in and out of office—and when any one tells you that land can be stolen without the knowledge of the high officials, don’t you believe them—get for nothing rights that are too valuable even to sell.”
With this outburst Andy grew silent, and it was not until they had inspected the brook, where Ted found conditions favourable for the installation of his system, that he recovered his cheeriness.
“Think you can sleep in such a place?” he asked, as he fixed the fire after returning to the bough hut.
“I don’t mind the place. It’s the sleeping on my guns that will bother me,” Ted replied. “I don’t think they will be very comfortable.”
“That only means to have them under your pillows.”
“But we haven’t any pillows.”
“Use your saddles.” And Andy quickly showed the boys how to build a bed of boughs, and cover it with their blankets in such a way that the hardness of their saddles was relieved.
When they had gathered a big pile of firewood for the night, Andy suggested target practice.