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"Never mind what ye war jest a-sayin'," interrupted the boy, flushing redly to his cheekbones, but controlling his voice. "Ye've done said enough a'ready. Ye're a right old man, Caleb, an' I reckon thet gives ye some license ter shoot off yore face, but ef any of them no-'count, shif'less boys of yores wants ter back up what ye says, I'm ready ter go out thar an' make 'em eat hit.
"It shorely was a sight to see them braves run," said Shif'less Sol. "Thar's many a tired man in that lot now. I think some o' 'em didn't hit the ice an' snow more'n twice between here an' the lan'." "Paul's made the islan' ez safe fur us ez a stone fort ez long ez we want to stay," said Tom Ross. "It was a great plan, well done," said Henry. Paul's face shone with the most intense delight.
He did not see any evidence of warriors, but he knew they could not be far away and he returned to the hollow, where he and Shif'less Sol spent the rest of the day, each lying upon a bed of leaves and gazing through the screen of bushes toward the shimmering surface of the lake. Nor did they say much, only a word or two now and then. Henry felt a great sense of luxury.
It was to Ross and Shif'less Sol that this task fell; but, though they kept the fires high, they accomplished little else. Paul lay down about midnight and slept several hours, but it was a troubled night. The savages did not rest. They were continually flitting about among the trees at the foot of the hill, and firing at the sentinels.
"I didn't know Tom Ross had sech a gift o' gab," said Shif'less Sol. "He stirs me all up, he makes me want to hev some lady buy a ship fur me an' start me out to discoverin' continents. Do you think, Paul, thar's any lady who would sell her earrings an' finger rings fur me ez that Spanish one did fur Columbus?" "But think, Sol, what a chance you've got whether there is or not," said Henry Ware.
The forest looked splendid in its foliage, and off to the south they could see wild flowers. "Nothin' goin' to happen for some time," said Shif'less Sol, "an' me bein' a lazy man an' proud o' the fact, I think I'll go to sleep." Nobody said anything against it, and stretching himself out among the bushes which shaded his face, he was sleeping peacefully in a few minutes.
Then Henry awakened Shif'less Sol, and whispered to him all that he had seen. "Whatever took Jim and Paul has took him," whispered the shiftless one at once. Henry nodded. "An' we're bound to look for him right now," continued Shif'less Sol. "Yes," said Henry, "but we must stay together. If we follow the others, Sol, we must follow 'em together." "It would be safer," said Sol.
Thus they marched until past midnight, and they heard nothing behind them. Then their leader stopped, and the others, without a word, stopped with him. "I think we've shaken 'em off," said Henry, "and we'd better rest and sleep. Then we can make up our plans." "Good enough," said Shif'less Sol. "An' ef any man wakes me up afore next week, I'll hev his scalp."
Shif'less Sol drew himself up with haughty dignity. "Jim Hart," he said, "I'm wrapped 'bout with the mantle o' my own merit so well from head to foot that them invig'ous remarks o' yours bounce right off me like hail off solid granite. To tell you the truth, Jim Hart, I feel like a big stone mountain, three miles high, with you throwin' harmless leetle pebbles at me."
It gives him sech satisfaction that I git a kind uv taste uv it myself." Henry did not offer a word 'of explanation until his breakfast was over. Then lie leaned back, sighing twice with deep content, and said: "Boys, I've got a lot to tell." Shif'less Sol moved into an easier position on the leaves. "I guess it has somethin' to do with them scratches on your leggins."
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