was a puzzle.

I was equally at a loss to account for their being acquainted with the
cause that had brought _me_ there. That they were so, was evident from
their conversation. Where could they have procured their information on
this head? Neither of them had been at the rancheria, nor in the army
anywhere; certainly not, else I should have heard of them. Indeed,
either of them would have made himself known to me, as a strong
friendship had formerly existed between us.

But they alone could give me an explanation, and, without further
conjecture, I turned to them.

"Rube! Garey!" I said, holding out my hand.

"Hilloo! yur a-comin too, young fellur. Thet's right; but thur now--lay
still a bit--don't worrit yurself; y'ull be stronger by'm by."

"Take a sup o' this," said the other, with an air of rude kindness, at
the same time holding out a small gourd, which I applied to my lips. It
was _aguardiente_ of El Paso, better known among the mountain-men as
"Pass-whisky." The immediate effect of this strong, but not bad spirit,
was to strengthen my nerves, and render me abler to converse.

"I see you reccollects us, capt'n," said Garey, apparently pleased at
the recognition.

"Well, old comrades--well do I remember you."

"We ain't forgot you neyther. Rube an I often talked about ye. We many
a time wondered what hed becomed o' you. We heerd, of coorse, that you
hed gone back to the settlements, an that you hed come into gobs o'
property, an hed to change yur name to git it--"

"Durn the name!" interrupted Rube. "I'd change mine any day for a plug
o' Jeemes River bacca; thet wud I sartint."

"No, capt'n," continued the young trapper, without heeding Rube's
interruption, "we hedn't forgot you, neyther of us."

"That we hedn't!" added Rube emphatically: "forgot ye--forgot the young
fellur as tuk ole Rube for a grizzly! He, he, he!--ho, ho, hoo! How
Bill hyur did larf when I gin him the account o' that bissnes in the
cave. Bill, boy, I niver seed you larf so in all my life. Ole Rube tuk
for a grizzly! He, he, he!--Ho, ho, hoo!"

And the old trapper went off into a fit of laughing that occupied nearly
a minute. At the end of it, he continued:--

"Thet wur a kewrious bit o' dodgin--wa'nt it, young fellur? You saved
my ole karkidge thet time, an I ain't a-gwine to forgit it; no, this
child ain't."

"I think you have repaid me; you have rescued me from the bear?"

"From _one_ bar _preehaps_ we di