Part 34 (2/2)

”Yes,” replied Redhand.

”All right there?”

”All right. The redskins threatened an attack, but we were too quick for 'em.”

A gleam of satisfaction pa.s.sed across d.i.c.k's face as he added, ”You've lost a comrade, han't ye?”

”We jist have,” cried Big Waller in surprise. ”If you've seed him, I guess ye'd as well take us to his whereabouts.”

”See you yonder pine?” said d.i.c.k, pointing back in the direction whence he had come. ”One day's journey beyond that, as the crow flies, will bring you to a valley, level and well watered, with plenty o' beaver in it. You'll find him there.”

Without waiting a reply d.i.c.k turned to ride away.

”I say, stranger,” cried Waller (d.i.c.k paused), ”air you, or air you not, the Wild Man o' the West?”

”Wild fools of the West call me so,” replied d.i.c.k with a ferocious frown, that went far to corroborate the propriety of the cognomen in the opinion of the trappers.

”Wall, I tell 'ee wot it is, stranger, Wild Man or not, I guess you'll ha' to take us to our comrade yourself, for I'm inclined to opine that you know more about him than's good for ye; so if ye try to ride off, I'll see whether a ball--sixteen to the pound--'ll not stop ye, for all yer bigness.”

A grim smile curled d.i.c.k's moustache as he replied, ”If ye think that a trapper's word ain't to be trusted, or that committin' murder 'll do yer comrade a service, here's your chance--fire away!”

d.i.c.k wheeled about and cantered coolly away into the thickest part of the forest, leaving the trappers gazing at each other in amazement.

Bertram was the first to speak.

”Oh, why did you not delay him a few seconds longer? See, I have him here--all but the legs of his splendid charger.”

The others burst into a laugh.

”If ye've got the body all c'rect, it's easy to calculate the legs by the rules o' proportion, d'ye see?” observed Bounce.

”Come, lads, that's good news about March, anyhow,” cried Redhand; ”an'

I'm of opinion that the Wild Man o' the West an't just so wild as people think. I, for one, will trust him. There's somethin' about the corner of a man's eye that tells pretty plain whether he's false or true.

Depend on't we shall find March where he told us, so the sooner we set off the better.”

Without waiting for a reply, Redhand urged his horse into a gallop, and, followed by his comrades, made for the valley indicated by the Wild Man.

Meanwhile, the Wild Man himself was already far ahead of them, keeping out of sight among the woods, and galloping nearly in the same direction--for his cave lay not more than four miles from the valley in question. Being much better mounted than they, he soon left the trappers far behind him, and when night closed in he continued his journey, instead of halting to eat and take a few hours' rest as they did. The consequence was that he reached his cave several hours before the trappers arrived at the valley, where they expected to find their missing comrade.

Of course March was filled with surprise at this second unexpected return of d.i.c.k; but the latter relieved his mind by explaining, in an offhand way, that he had met a man who had told him the Mountain Fort was all safe, and that his comrades also were safe, and wandering about in that part of the country in search of him. After a good deal of desultory conversation, d.i.c.k turned to his guest with a sad, serious air, and, fixing his large blue eyes on him, said--

”March, lad, you an' me must part soon.”

”Part!” exclaimed the youth in surprise, glancing at Mary, who sat opposite to him, embroidering a pair of moccasins.

”Ay, we must part. You'll be well enough in a day or two to travel about with yer comrades. Now, lad, I want ye to understand me. I've lived here, off and on, for the last fourteen or fifteen years--it may be more, it may be less; I don't well remember--an' I've niver suffered men to interfere wi' me. I don't want them, an' they don't want me.”

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