Page:Hugh Pendexter--The young timber-cruisers.djvu/246

 you are very, very young,” dryly warned her father.

“By jing! Ye just let her ramble on nat’ral like,” cried Abner, now thoroughly infatuated with the quick-eyed miss. “Let’s have no finnified company manners up here. I‘m a rough old curmudg’un and these two younkers give me a lot of bother, but we all like to meet nat’ral people. Now, Professer, s’pose ye give me a few p’inters as to how the land lays north of here.”

“Gladly. You’ll find the map is incorrect in several particulars,” assented the professor. “Will you step inside? Laura will entertain our young men.”

“The young men will entertain me,” corrected Laura, once the men had left them. “First, tell me all about your experiences with that awful man, the Indian.”

“You tell it, Stanley,” diffidently requested Bub.

“There’s not much to tell you don’t already know,” said Stanley. “I can only add that if it wasn’t for Bub here I’d never pulled through. I walked for miles leaning on his shoulder. He not only had to pick the way but half carry me.”

“That will do,” growled Bub. “Miss