"What do you mean by that?"
"Why not seein' 'em, I'm not sure where they are nor where they went."
"But you think they went—"
"I'm not doin' very much 'thinkin'' just now," replied Zeke as he at once began his preparations for the evening meal.
Fred however, was not to be turned aside so easily.
Approaching the place where Zeke was working he said, "Do you think those men have tried to go to the place where Simon Moultrie staked his claim?"
"I don't know nothin' 'bout it," replied Zeke, without looking up from his task. "My only 'pinion is that if there's any such claim and we don't get there pretty soon there won't be much for us to look for."
"Why do you suppose John and Pete don't come back?"
"Because they have not returned."
"Don't you think that Kitoni found them?"