I believe that they came up on the Mississippi, and will return
the same way."
"Then they have boats," said Paul in dismay, "and we have none."
"But we can get one," said Henry significantly.
"If you want a thing, jest go an' git it," said Shif'less Sol. "I remember
once when I wuz a leetle bit o' a boy back in the East, I hankered
terribly after some hickory nuts that I knowed wuz in a grove about a mile
from our house. I suffered days an' days o' anguish fur them hickory nuts,
wishin' mighty bad all the time that I had 'em. At the end o' two weeks I
walked over an' got 'em, an' my sufferin' stopped off short."
"That's just what we mean to do about our boat, step over and get it,"
said Henry laughing. But he did not divulge his plan and the others were
content to wait for the event.
As Henry had predicted, the Spanish camp broke up the following morning,
and Alvarez and his force took up a march almost due eastward. They
traveled in an easy fashion, and showed no signs of apprehension, Alvarez
deeming that fifty well-armed men were not in any danger from wandering
tribes. He did not know that five resolute borderers were following
closely behind him, even looking into his camp at night, and knowing every
important thing that he did.
Pages:
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72