“My name is Muffins,” said he, “and, as I told you a few minutes ago, I’m a hunter in this neighborhood. It isn’t often that I see a white man, and when I do, I must stick to him and enjoy his society all I can. So, of course, I couldn’t think of leaving you just yet.”
It occurred to George Inwood that he had not only been discourteous, but had overdone matters altogether in manifesting such a prompt anxiety to get rid of Muffins, and he now attempted an impossible thing, namely, to undo his mistake.
“Yes, sir; nobody goes with me. I live alone in these woods, except when I meet a friend, as I have met you to-night; but I never stay with them long, so you needn’t be anxious regarding me, ’cause I’ll leave you as soon as it is daylight.”
This was intended to be reassuring, but it was anything but that, and made Inwood more uneasy than ever. His great fear was that there were others close at hand, and the darkness, gloom and solitude gave opportunity for treachery. He did not see how he could rid himself of his dangerous visitor; but Jim now spoke up:
“See here, Mr. Buffin, I wants to ax you a question.”
“Did you ’serbe me when I dropped dese saddles?”
“I noticed that you let something fall as I came up, but I didn’t pay any attention. It was no concern of mine, you know.”
“You didn’t tink--dat is, you don’t tink dere be any gold about dat?”
“All right, Mr. Buffer, I doesn’t want you to tink so--jes’ ’member dat if you please.”
George Inwood was greatly irritated, but there was such an air of simplicity about what Jim said, that it was impossible not to be amused. When the African received the reply of Mr. Muffin, he seemed satisfied, and seated himself upon the saddles.
George saw that their visitor understood the precise condition of affairs, and there was no further use of attempting concealment.
“I s’pose you’re miners?” remarked Mr. Muffin, by way of initiating the conversation.
“Yes; we have spent several months among the mountains, part the time hunting and part the time mining.”
“Quite good I may say; we have toiled long and hard, and have made pretty good wages--so much, that we have concluded to return home.”
“No; our home is in the Empire State, where I hope we shall shortly be.”