“Yes’m,” they both replied, and watched her skip up the hill in the wake of the rest of the party.
About half-way to the top she stopped and threw them a kiss, and then danced out of sight in the jack-pines.
Ren rolled a fresh smoke and studied Sig’s rapt expression from under his hat brim. Suddenly he broke into song——
“And that’s what made th’ wildcat wild.”
“Meanin’ which?” demanded Sig.
“Oscar,” chuckled Ren. “Don’t yuh see, Sig? Them velvet optics made Oscar——”
“Listen,” snapped Sig. “Confine yore humor to somethin’ else. I don’t sit here inactive and hear yuh slander them eyes none whatever. Sabe? I’m backin’ th’ lady’s play—me.”
“Me and you both,” replied Ren seriously. “But did yuh ever stop to consider that you gits so danged conceited when uh female person speaks to yuh that yuh promises to do anything? Cougars ain’t woodchucks nor snowshoe rabbits, and I’m thinkin’ aloud that you’ve gone plumb out of yore class this time.”
“We’ll git him,” snapped Sig. “One of th’ fellers told me that th’ last they saw of him he was lopin’ up th’ trail, and that means he’s liable to hive up in our cabin. Bein’ as he’s uh house-bred animule, it stands to reason that he’s goin’ to hunt human company soon’s he gits hungry or gits scared of th’ dark. Sabe?”