f-formed resolution. I liked their counsel best.

One had not yet spoken--one upon whose advice I placed a higher value
than upon the combined wisdom of all the others. I had not yet taken
the opinion of the earless trapper.

CHAPTER EIGHTY EIGHT.

RUBE CONSULTING HIS ORACLE.

He was standing apart from the rest--leaning, I should rather say, for
his body was not erect, but diagonal. In this attitude it was propped
by his rifle, the butt of which was steadied against the stump of a
tree, whilst the muzzle appeared to rest upon the bridge of Rube's own
nose.

As the man and the piece were about of a length, the two just placed in
juxtaposition presented the exact figure of an inverted V, and the small
close-capped skull of the trapper formed a sufficiently tapering apex to
the angle. Both his hands were clasped round the barrel, near its
muzzle, his fingers interlocking, while the thumbs lay flat--one upon
each side of his nose.

At first glance, it was difficult to tell whether he was gazing into the
barrel of the piece, or beyond it upon the Indian camp.

The attitude was not new to him nor to me; it was not the first time I
had observed him in a posture precisely similar. I knew it was his
favourite _pose_, when any question of unusual difficulty required all
the energy of his "instincts." He was now, as often of yore, consulting
his "divinity," presumed to dwell far down within the dark tube of
"Targuts."

After a time, all the others ceased to speak, and stood watching him.
They knew that no step would be taken before Rube's advice had been
received; and they waited with more or less patience for him to speak.

Full ten minutes passed, and still the old trapper neither stirred nor
spoke. Nor lip nor muscle of him was seen to move; the eyes alone could
be detected in motion, and these small orbs, scintillating in their deep
sockets, were the only signs of life which he showed. Standing rigid
and still, he appeared, not a statue, but a scarecrow, propped up by a
stick; and the long, brown, weather-washed rifle did not belie the
resemblance.

Full ten minutes passed, and still he spoke not; his "oracle" had not
yet yielded its response.

I have said that at the first glance it was difficult to tell whether
the old man was gazing into the barrel of his gun or beyond it. After
watching him closely, I observed that he was doing both. Now his eyes
were a little raised, as if he looked upon the p