FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   112   113   114   115   116   117   118   119   120   121   122   123   124   125   126   127   128   129   130   131   132   133   134   135   136  
137   138   139   140   141   142   143   144   145   146   147   148   149   150   151   152   153   154   155   156   157   158   159   160   161   >>   >|  
you drink any of it you find it makes you ill." "You've had that experience?" said the doctor. "More'n once, sir," replied Griggs, "and it aren't nice. Which way do you mean to go to-day, sir?" "Straight for the mountains," replied the doctor. "Humph!" grunted Griggs. "Won't get there in one journey." "No," replied the doctor, scanning the beautiful elevation through his glass, "but I think we might do what we can in the way of selecting another camp to which we can move a day or two later." "Yes, we can do that, sir. But what about here?" "I should set up the tent here before we start," suggested Wilton. "What for, sir?" asked Griggs sharply. "It will be a big white object for our guidance on our way back." Griggs shook his head and smiled. "We shall take our bearings, and be able to find our camp again. The water here will do for one big mark when we're yonder on the hills. If you set up that tent with no one to mind it, the mules won't be long before they come rubbing themselves against the ropes and upsetting it, for one thing. Another is, that if a roving band of mounted Indians came along they'd be down upon it at once to see what there was worth taking." "But surely there are no mounted Indians about here?" said Ned eagerly. "Maybe no, maybe yes, my lad. I don't know that there are, and I don't know that there aren't. Here's plenty of room for them, and a nice country where there's water and perhaps game. Likely enough there may be Indians. For they're here to-day and a hundred miles off to-morrow, roving about in search of eatables." "Yes," said the doctor gravely, "and the thought of the life they lead is encouraging to me." "Encouraging?" cried Bourne and Wilton together. "Certainly. I have been a good deal exercised in my mind about the failing of our provisions forcing us at last to turn back, but if we follow the example of the Indians there is no reason why we, so long as we have sufficient ammunition, should not be able to keep on for years if it were necessary. What one band can do, surely another can." "That's what you think, then, is it, sir?" said Griggs sharply. "Yes; why do you speak like that?" "Only because I'm glad you see fully what we've got to do, sir, and are ready to do it." "But we must husband our stores," said Bourne. "Of course, sir," said Griggs, with his eyes twinkling. "We will, as long as they'll stop to be husbanded; but th
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   112   113   114   115   116   117   118   119   120   121   122   123   124   125   126   127   128   129   130   131   132   133   134   135   136  
137   138   139   140   141   142   143   144   145   146   147   148   149   150   151   152   153   154   155   156   157   158   159   160   161   >>   >|  



Top keywords:
Griggs
 

Indians

 

doctor

 

replied

 

sharply

 
Wilton
 
mounted
 

surely

 
roving
 

Bourne


husband

 

stores

 
morrow
 

thought

 
gravely
 

search

 
eatables
 
country
 

plenty

 

husbanded


encouraging

 

Likely

 

twinkling

 

hundred

 

forcing

 

follow

 

ammunition

 

sufficient

 

reason

 

provisions


Encouraging

 
Certainly
 

exercised

 

failing

 

selecting

 
elevation
 

scanning

 
beautiful
 

suggested

 
journey

experience
 

grunted

 
mountains
 
Straight
 

object

 

guidance

 
Another
 

upsetting

 
eagerly
 

taking