But
what matters it, Hetty, if all the Sioux tribes, west of the big
river, are within a mile of us; they will find it no easy matter to
scale this rock, in the teeth of ten bold men."
"Call 'em twelve at once, Ishmael; call 'em twelve!" cried his
termagant assistant. "For if your moth-gathering, bug-hunting friend,
can be counted a man, I beg you will set me down as two. I will not
turn my back to him, with the rifle or the shot-gun; and for courage!
--the yearling heifer, that them skulking devils the Tetons stole, was
the biggest coward among us all, and after her came your drivelling
Doctor. Ah! Ishmael, you rarely attempt a regular trade but you come
out the loser; and this man, I reckon, is the hardest bargain among
them all! Would you think it, the fellow ordered me a blister around
my mouth, because I complained of a pain in the foot?"
"It is a pity, Eester," the husband coolly answered, "that you did not
take it; I reckon it would have done considerable good. But, boys, if
it should turn out as Ahiram thinks, that there are Indians near us,
we may have to scamper up the rock, and lose our suppers after all;
therefore we will make sure of the game, and talk over the
performances of the Doctor when we have nothing better to do.
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