Part 6 (1/2)
The greeting was not effusive, but joyful. Henry told them in rapid words, tense and brief, all that had occurred the night before, and the shoulders of the four shook with silent laughter.
”You certainly scared them good, Henry,” said Paul.
”I was helped a lot by circ.u.mstances.”
”But you used the chances when they came.”
”Where did you four hide when the storm broke?”
”We took refuge under the matted trees and boughs of a huge old windrow.
It wasn't like the hollow, and some water came through, but on the whole we did fairly well, and soon dried out thoroughly this morning. We were mighty glad to hear your call, but we hardly hoped you would achieve as much as you did.”
”An' havin' routed the first band that came ag'inst us,” said Long Jim, ”what do you 'low we ought to do next?”
”We've broken only a piece of the iron ring they're forging about us, and they'll soon mend that piece. It's a good thing to hit first at those you see are trying to hit at you, and so I think we ought to follow up the success fortune has given us.”
”An' it 'pears we kin do that best by keepin' right on the trail o'
Braxton Wyatt an' his band,” said s.h.i.+f'less Sol.
”That's the way I see it,” said Henry. ”How do you feel about it, Tom?”
”Right plan,” replied Ross.
s.h.i.+f'less Sol fixed upon him such a look of stern reproof that Silent Tom reddened once more under his tan.
”Here you go gettin' volyble ag'in,” said the s.h.i.+ftless one. ”You used two words then, Tom Ross, when, ef you'd thought an' hunted 'roun' a leetle you might hev found one that would hev done ez well.”
”And you Paul?” said Harry.
”I'm glad to follow where you lead.”
”And you, Jim?”
”I'm uv Paul's mind.”
”Then it's settled. Now, we'll have something to eat, and talk it over.”
They soon found a little valley in which a clear rivulet was flowing.
One was never more than a mile from running water in that country--and Long Jim and Silent Tom produced food from their deerskin pouches.
”Here's some ven'son,” said Jim. ”It's cold an' it's tough, but I reckon it'll do.”
”I'm thinkin',” said s.h.i.+f'less Sol, ”that after a night like the one Henry has had he'll be pow'ful hungry fur somethin' better than cold ven'son.”
”Mebbe so,” rejoined Long Jim, ”an' mebbe it's true uv all uv us, but whar are we goin' to git it?”
”I'm an eddycated man, Jim Hart, eddycated in the ways o' the woods, an'
one o' the fust things you do when you're gittin' that sort o' an eddication is to learn to use your eyes. I hev used mine, an' jest before we set down here I noticed the fresh trail o' buffler runnin' off to the right, 'bout a dozen, I'd say, an' jest ez sh.o.r.e ez I'm here they're not more'n a mile away. I kin see 'em now, grazin' in a little open, an' thar is a young cow among 'em, juicy an' tender. Now I don't want to kill a young cow buffler, but we must hev supplies before we go on this expedition.”