sons for
desirin' to travel alone. The thing cannot be."

This was said in such a decided tone that March looked at Mary in
dismay. He gathered no consolation from her countenance, however.

"March," said Dick firmly, "I'm sorry to grieve ye, lad, but it can't be
helped. All I can say is, that if ye choose to come back here next
summer you'll be heartily welcome, and I'll engage that ye'll find me
here; but I'm quite sartin' ye won't want to come."

"Won't want to come! I'll bet ye a hundred thousand million dollars
I'll want to come, ay, and _will_ come," cried March.

"Done!" said Dick, seizing the youth's hand, "an' Mary's a witness to
the wager."

It is needless to say that the conversation did not rest here. The
greater part of that night, and during great part of the week that March
remained there, he continued to press the Wild Man of the West to alter
his purpose, but without avail. Each day he passed with his comrades,
hunting and trapping, and each night he bade them adieu and returned to
sup and sleep in the cave, and, of course, persecuted Dick all that
time; but Dick was immovable.

Of course, the trappers renewed their attempts to get March to show them
Dick's abode, but he persistently refused, and they were too
good-natured to annoy him, and too honest to follow his trail, which
they might easily have done, had they been so disposed.

At last the time arrived when it became necessary that the trappers
should return to Pine Point settlement. In the midst of all their
alarms and fights they had found time to do, what Big Waller termed, a
"pretty considerable stroke o' business." That is to say, they had
killed a large number of fur-bearing animals by means of trap, snare,
and gun, so that they were in a position to return home with a heavy
load of valuable skins. The day of their departure was therefore
arranged, and March, mounting his steed, galloped, for the last time,
and with a heavy heart, towards the cave of his friend Dick.

As he passed rapidly over the wild country, and entered the gloomy
recesses that surrounded the Wild Man's home, he thought over the
arguments and persuasive speeches with which he meant to make a last
and, he still hoped, successful appeal. But March might have spared
himself the trouble of all this thought, for when he reached the cave
Dick was absent. This grieved, him deeply, because every preparation
had been made by his companions for starting on their