“Still Unknown: We learn that the whereabouts of the sons of Messrs. Shafer and Long importers on Fourth street, still remain unknown. It is generally believed, now, that they have reached St. Louis, and joined some emigrant caravan at that place. A standing reward of $1,000 is offered for their persons, or for information that may lead to their recovery.”
“Read that to me, boy!” said the hunter, as the youth looked up with a tear in his eye.
The youth complied.
“Well, I see you’re worth five hundred dollars to the old folks,” said the old man, with a smile. “And I guess I’ll claim the reward. But, I do wish you could take some white buffler hides home with you, anyhow. This hes been a wild-goose chase, Charley, hesn’t it?”
“Yes, so far as white buffaloes are concerned,” replied the boy, with a deep blush.
“Well, what have you gained by it?”
The youth drew nearer the hunter, and glanced at two beautiful girls standing in the little barrack yard, conversing with a youth of about their own age.
“Oh, I see!” exclaimed the man. “You needn’t tell me, Charley. This has not been a wild-goose chase for you two boys. You’ve gained something worth a million billion of buffler hides, and I’m going to stay in Cincinnati till I see you hitched.”
“Oh, Frontier Shack, we owe you so much!”
“If you talk that away, I’ll be dashed if I go back with you. You don’t owe me any thing. Boy, I thought that this thing was going to turn out all right, when the boat struck the sunken island that terrible night, and throwed George among the quicksands. I can’t tell how I managed to git into the boat again, but heaven helped me, I guess. The water carried me too far down-stream to help George then. Golly! how ’stonished I war to find him in the Pawnee village, with you at his side. But every thing has turned out right. I’m a lone man now,” he continued, after a pause. “Tecumseh and Massasoit are gone; they war my brothers. Peace to their ashes!”