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Not one of them could or would give him any clue toJetts outfit.
Dave, thats no
way to tease Ory, he reproved, severely. Tom foundno sign of Jetts outfit; yet,
though much disappointed, it did notdiscourage him.
Theres room an we dont see
any slackinup of buffalo, said Hudnall. The succeeding momentswere the most
bitter of his life.
No, she was gone with Jett, Im shore sorry to say, replied
Dave.
You tend to sellin thehides an what else Hudnall wanted.
There was no
recourse for him but to search tillhe met Jett or found his camp.
Wal, Hudnall,
I dont tell you everythin, rejoined Pilchuck. These loquacious drivers had more
news calculated to interestHudnall.
Miles hedrove along the river, passing many
more camps, with like result.
Jett came here in the mornin, went on Mrs.
Ill
show you how to kill a hundred to-morrow in threehours, replied Pilchuck. Tom,
we cant stop work altogether, but we can all spare sometime, he said. Hope and
resolve augmented in Tom as he traveled onward. Tom foundno sign of Jetts
outfit; yet, though much disappointed, it did notdiscourage him.
Indeed, many
of them were so gorged that they could notrun. See here, Hudnall, I didnt
reckonyoud be tickled, but I shore thought youd have some sense. There was no
recourse for him but to search tillhe met Jett or found his camp. An we felt
worse when Sprague told uslast night that this Mrs. The river meandered across
theprairie, a wide strip of dark green cottonwood and elm. It took some moments
for Tom to makehis sincerity felt. It was a staggeringarraignment to confront
the hide-hunters. Hudnall wasthe last to recover, following which he shoved a
brawny hand atStronghurl. It had the effect to crush poor Ory into bewildered
silence; hesank down quite staggered.
Then Tom asked if they had seen an outfit
of three large wagons,three men, a woman, and a boy.
Doan, I aint sayin
much,but this deal looks bad.
He remembered when he had been just as ignorant
and rawas they were now.
Sallyan me would have married, when this huntins
over.
I got to my horsean was thinkin of runnin over to save father, when I saw
I wastoo late.
She looked so cute an sweet in her boys clothes.
Tom sat there
with clenched hands and surging heart.
Weve heard bad rumors about that Jett
outfit. His comrade swore roundly, and paced a moment, thoughtfully. In spite
of thesesounds silence seemed to reign.
Tom foundno sign of Jetts outfit; yet,
though much disappointed, it did notdiscourage him. Toil and danger had no
power to transform hisexpression of infantile glee with life and himself. You
can see our women folks an bring back the straightof this news.
Strange you
didnt meet Jett, replied Mrs.
Wal, son, you cant work an do the job right,
replied the scout.
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