“Better take a picture of François here, with the camp for a background, Phil. Then you’ll have something to show when you tell this story later on. And François wouldn’t object, I should think?”
Phil seemed to think it would not be a bad idea.
“Those five tree trunks will make a good scene in themselves, with the snow, and the camp with its fire and smoke back of them. François, would you mind leaning out, and looking at me for just a few seconds?”
The chef was apparently an obliging sort of fellow; either that or else he had just experienced such a fright that he did not care to antagonize any more of the people he ran across up in this wilderness. He did as Phil requested, and the picture was taken in that fashion.
After that the boys bade him good-by, and turned their backs on the scene of the recent happening. Both of them felt well repaid for their short trip. They had learned what the loud commotion in the rival camp had meant; and were carrying back some mighty interesting news for the others.
Ethan was chuckling all the way.
“I just can’t help but laugh at what that French cook told us,” he remarked, as though he felt it really necessary to explain his actions. “Just imagine your fiery, red-faced, stout millionaire dancing furiously, while the owner of the scalded dog fires an occasional shot, cowboy fashion, close to his toes to make him jig faster. And all the while they are both yelling, the one in crazy delight and the other as mad as they make ’em. Oh! I’ll burst my sides laughing yet.”
“Well, it must have been a comical sight,” admitted Phil, smiling broadly himself, “at least to an outsider, though I suppose those three men think it’s an outrage serious enough to cause war between Uncle Sam and Canada right away after they get back home and report it.”
“If only you had been right where we found the cook, Phil, with your camera, and cracked off a few shots of that dance, they’d be the best ever.”
“Yes, that would have been a fine thing, but of course it couldn’t ever be,” the other continued. “But how about the man who was the cause of all this row; we ought to be able to guess who he was, without much trouble.”