“Don’t see no use,” cried Solomon, angrily, “for de likes ob you to go
foolin round dis yer way, leadin folks eberywhar, out ob de right track.
I bound to foller Mas’r Bart, an heah you go a foolin an a gittin lost.
What’s de sense ob dis yer proceedin? What do you mean, anyhow? Ef you
tink I’m goin to stan any such tomfoolery, you precious mistaken. You
better begin now and go ahead, and find out whar Mas’r Bart is.”
Solomon’s tone was full of a certain angry menace, which was so utterly
unlike his usual manner that Pat stared at him in wonder.
“Ah, howl yer whist,” he exclaimed, at last; “sure I ain’t the only
one that’s got lost in these wuds, so I ain’t. You can find him yerself
bether’n me, so ye can, if ye want to. How can I find him! Sorra one of
me knows the way anywheres out of this; and I’m fairly broken-hearted,
so I am, and that’s all about it.”
And saying this, Pat flung himself down, and buried his face in his
hands. He felt overwhelmed by his troubles. His fears of the leprosy
were still strong within him, and in addition to this he felt a keen
sense of self-reproach at his desertion of Bart. Had it not been for
Solomon he might not have thought of this; but the sight of the old
man’s anxiety about Bart brought before him in the plainest manner the
fact that he had been disloyal to his friend, and had deserted him, in
this hour of need.
As for Solomon, he took only one look at him, and then turned away. In
his faithful heart there was only one feeling, one desire; and that was,
to get back to Bart. He had no idea of the actual state of the case. He
did not know what a circuit Pat had made, but merely supposed that they
had got off the track that the others were following. With this idea
in his mind, he proceeded to call after Bart, so as to open up a
communication with him. This he strove to do by means of a series of the
most unearthly yells, shrieks, and howls that ever echoed through the
recesses of a harmless and unoffending forest. Yell followed yell; howl
succeeded howl; and a long series of hoots, halloos, shrieks, whoops,
and hullaballoos followed in swift succession. After each effort Solomon
stood listening attentively, waiting for a response before beginning
again. But his listening and his waiting were all unavailing, for no
response came, and all his unearthly cries only echoed through the dim
forest aisles, without bringing back any answer from the one whom they
were intended to reach. And no wonder: for by this time Bart was very
far indeed out of hearing.
At last Solomon gave up in utter discouragement. He stood for a time
in deep dejection, and then turned towards Pat, who had all this time
remained in the same attitude, sitting with his head buried in his
hands.
“How long ago is it,” asked Solomon, “sence you lost sight ob Mash
Bart?”
“O, iver so long,” said Pat; “more thin an hour, surely.”
“Why didn’t you call?”