I had been seated there but a little while when, looking back, I
saw one of the men, which proved to be George, running as if for
life along the top of the ridge where they had first seen me. I
could just make him out against the sky. Then he disappeared, I
could not tell where.
After a time I began to hear shots. The sounds were very faint,
but followed each other in quick succession. I laughed, and
thought I knew what was happening where they came from. The shots
seemed to come from the ridge I was on; but for some time I could
not see any one. Finally, I caught sight of one of the men. He
was waving his arms about wildly, and I could hear very faintly the
sound of shouting. Then another figure appeared, and they started
running towards me.
Suddenly I became frightened. Perhaps all the excitement was not
on my account after all, and I began to wonder if something
dreadful had happened. Had any one been hurt, or drowned? I
started quickly towards them, but as soon as they were near enough
for me to see their faces plainly, I knew that I had been the sole
cause of the trouble. It was George and Job. The perspiration was
dripping from their faces, which were pale and filled with an
expression, the funniest mixture of indignant resentment, anxiety,
and relief, that could possibly be imagined.
When they came up I smiled at them, but there was not any answering
smile. Then George began to remonstrate with me. He stood with
folded arms, and serious, reproachful face, and said: "Well, I
guess you very near done it this time."
"Very near done what?" I asked.
"Why, you have just about had us crazy."
"Had you crazy! What about?"
"Why, we thought you were lost."
"Didn't you see me over there on that ridge when I fired those
shots?"
"Yes, we did; and when we got up to the other end of the lake we
fired two shots, and we thought you would come back then. I went
up the ridge to meet you, and when I saw you were not there I was
sure you went down to the rapids. Then I ran down there, and when
I did not find you there I thought you either fell in that rapid,
or got lost."
"But I promised not to go to that rapid."
"Yes, I know you did; but I thought when you went up there on that
mountain may be you would go to that rapid any way."
"Well," I said, "when I got to the end of the lake, and saw you
were not coming, and the thunderstorm was coming on, and the flies
were so bad, I thought I might as well be doing something nice
while the storm was wetting me, and the flies were eating me."
"Yes, that is just what we said.
