“Ye say the Donna told ye that Red Buffalo took a roundabout way to the village to bamboozle the pursuers, if there war any. Now I bet we’re on the very trail they made, an’ if so, we can look for the Don an’ his men at any time, fur if the Donna does meet ’em she’ll hurry ’em up, ye bet,” said the hunter guide.
About two hours after noon, as the three men were sitting near the fire, Ralph put up his hand, and told the others to listen.
They did so, and heard five little cracks which sounded strangely like the discharge of the naturalist’s revolver.
“The mounseer’s in trouble. Come, let’s go an’ help him,” said Ralph.
CHAPTER XIV.
A BRILLIANT EXPLOIT WITH AN UMBRELLA.
We will now follow the naturalist, and see what had befallen him.
When he left his comrades, he wandered around in every direction, his keen little eyes peering into every corner.
Now and then he would spring forward and gently pull up a modest looking weed (to all appearance), and examine it eagerly.
Suddenly a scream of delight broke from his lips, and he leaped over at least eight feet of ground, and knelt beside a new kind of herb. With trembling fingers he examined it, giving vent to various exclamations of surprise and joy at the discovery.
“Sacré, I have found de plant at last. I am von famous man, an’ de society will make me dere President, vid a salary of thousands of francs. Oh, Monsieur Tierney is von big man. I have found vat I comes to Ameriky to hunt for, an’ I is satisfied. Begar, vat vill dat rival of mine, Bedoubsky, say? He vill be von very mad man ven he sees me President. Mon Dieu, I am von happy man,” cried the Frenchman, as he tenderly pulled up the modest, but in after years, famous herb, by the roots, and put it into his case.