"
"What'll ye make the raft of?" asked Raften.
"Cedar rails nailed together," answered Sam.
"No nails in mine," objected Yan; "that isn't Injun."
"An' none o' my cedar rails fur that. 'Pears to me it'd be less work
an' more Injun to pack the stuff on yer backs an' no risk o' wettin'
the beds."
So the raft was given up, and the stuff was duly carted to the creek's
side. Raften himself went with it. He was a good deal of a boy at
heart and he was much in sympathy with the plan. His remarks showed
a mixture of interest, and doubt as to the wisdom of letting himself
take so much interest.
"Hayre, load me up," he said, much to the surprise of the boys, as
they came to the creek's edge. His broad shoulders carried half of the
load. The blazed trail was only two hundred yards long, and in two
trips the stuff was all dumped down in front of the teepee.
Sam noted with amusement the unexpected enthusiasm of his father.
"Say, Da, you're just as bad as we are. I believe you'd like to join
us."
"'Moinds me o' airly days here," was the reply, with a wistful note in
his voice. "Many a night me an' Caleb Clark slep' out this way on this
very crick when them fields was solid bush.
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