o’ nature all this time, and ye’re only thinkin’ about the sodgers. Now, that's strange.”
“Not so strange after all, lad,” answered Joe. “When a man’s used to a thing, he gits to enjoy it without speakin’ much about it. But it is true, boy, that mankind gits in time to think little o’ the blissin’s he's used to.”
“Oui, c’est vrai!” murmured Henri emphatically.
“Well, Joe Blunt, it may be so, but I'm thankful I’m not used to this sort of thing yet,” exclaimed Varley. “Let’s have another gallop. So ho! come along, Crusoe!” shouted the youth as he shook his reins and flew over a long stretch of prairie on which they entered.
Joe smiled as he followed his enthusiastic companion, but after a short run he pulled up.
“Hold on, youngster,” he cried; “ye must larn to do as ye’re bid, lad. It’s trouble enough to be among wild Injuns and wild buffaloes, as I hope soon to be, without havin’ wild comrades to look after.”
Dick laughed, and reined in his horse. “I'll be as obedient as Crusoe,” he said, “and no one can beat him.”
“Besides,” continued Joe “the horses won’t travel far if we begin by runnin’ all the wind out o’ them.”
“Wah!” exclaimed Henri, as the led horse became restive; “I think we must give to him de pack-hoss for to lead, eh?”
“Not a bad notion, Henri. We’ll make that the penalty of runnin’ off again; so look out. Master Dick.”
“I’m down,” replied Dick, with a modest air, “obedient as a baby, and won’t run off—till—the next time. By the way, Joe, how many days’ provisions did ye bring?”
“Two. That's ’nough to carry us to the Great Prairie, which is three weeks distant from this. Our rifles must make up the difference, and keep us when we get there.”
“And s’pose we neither find deer nor buffalo,” said Dick.
“I s’pose we’ll have to starve.”
“Dat is cumfer’able to tink upon,” remarked Henri.
“More comfortable to think o’ than to undergo,” said Dick; “but I s’pose there's little chance o’ that.”
“Well, not much,” replied Joe Blunt, patting his horse’s neck; “but d’ye see, lad, ye niver can count for sartin on any thin’. The deer and buffalo ought to be thick in them plains at this time—and when the buffalo are thick they covers the plains till ye can hardly see the end o’ them; but, ye see, sometimes the rascally Redskins
