“The meat’s cooking nicely,” Ross interrupted. “But why did you leave it? What are you doing down here?” “Jest stepped down here to take a squint ’round an’ see if I could find anything o’ the Injin.” “Bright Wing?” “Yes.” “Where is he?” “I don’t know no more’n the man in the moon. When I woke up an hour ago he was gone. You was sleepin’ so good I didn’t want to wake you. So I hung up the chunk o’ venison, started a fire under it, an’ come down here to see what I could see. After a little while the dog follered me.” “And what discovery have you made?” “None. I hain’t seen hide n’r hair o’ the Injin, n’r nobody else. I don’t see what’s become o’ him. I can’t make it out.” Douglas was silent; and Joe asked: “What do you make of it?” “I don’t know what to think,” Ross replied meditatively. “One thing is certain, however. We’re tarrying too long.” “Of course,” assented Joe. “But we can’t proceed until Bright Wing returns.” “No, of course not.” “What do you suggest?” “That we go an’ have somethin’ to eat while we’re waitin’. I’m as holler as a gun bar’l. I’ve fasted fer three ’r four days, an’ it seems I can’t git filled up, somehow. I’m jest like a feller in love—I am, by Caroline! Can’t git enough of it. I remember one time when a score o’ purty women was hankerin’ after me. They was perfectly distracted over my good looks. But I wasn’t in love with one of ’em; an’ it didn’t take me long to git enough o’ their billin’ an’ cooin’. Then I remember another time w’en a small piece o’ linsey-woolsey got in my mind, an’ I couldn’t git ’er out. She was purty as a pictur’, an’ sharper eyed ’n a blackbird. But she didn’t keer a continental fer me; an’ I nearly starved to death fer the want o’ her love. I pined away to skin an’ bone, an’ become a reg’lar shadder. Served me right, fer the way I’d used them other women, I reckon. I ain’t much on religion, but I b’lieve a man gits his punishment fer his evil deeds right here on earth—I do, by Samanthy! But what’re you thinkin’ ’bout, Ross Douglas?” Ross stood absent-mindedly gazing into the somber depths of the surrounding forest. Evidently he had heard little that his loquacious friend had been saying. But at the question he started, and replied serio-comically: “I was thinking I had heard you speak of your numerous conquests before, Joe.”