ey run out
o' powder an' lead, or want to sell their furs. Hallo! Why, Tolly,
boy, it is--yes! I do believe it's Mahoghany Drake himself!"

Tolly did not reply, for he had run eagerly forward to meet the trapper,
having already recognised him.

"His name is a strange one," remarked Fred Westly, gazing steadily at
the man as he approached.

"Drake is his right name," explained Bevan, "an' Mahoghany is a handle
some fellers gave him 'cause he's so much tanned wi' the sun. He's one
o' the right sort, let me tell ye. None o' your boastin', bustin'
critters, like Gashford, but a quiet, thinkin' man, as is ready to
tackle any subject a'most in the univarse, but can let his tongue lie
till it's time to speak. He can hold his own, too wi' man or beast.
Ain't he friendly wi' little Tolly Trevor? He'll shake his arm out o'
the socket if he don't take care. I'll have to go to the rescue."

In a few seconds Paul Bevan was having his own arm almost dislocated by
the friendly shake of the trapper's hand, for, although fond of
solitude, Mahoghany Drake was also fond of human beings, and especially
of old friends.

"Glad to see you, gentlemen," he said, in a low, soft voice, when
introduced by Paul to the travellers. At the same time he gave a
friendly little nod to Unaco, thus indicating that with the Indian chief
he was already acquainted.

"Well, Drake," said Bevan, after the first greetings were over, "all
right at the camp down there?"

"All well," he replied, "and the Leaping Buck quite recovered."

He cast a quiet glance at the Indian chief as he spoke, for the Leaping
Buck was Unaco's little son, who had been ailing when his father left
his village a few weeks before.

"No sign o' gold-seekers yet?" asked Paul.

"None--'cept one lot that ranged about the hills for a few days, but
they seemed to know nothin'. Sartinly they found nothin', an' went away
disgusted."

The trapper indulged in a quiet chuckle as he said this.

"What are ye larfin' at?" asked Paul.

"At the gold-seekers," replied Drake.

"What was the matter wi' 'em," asked Tolly.

"Not much, lad, only they was blind, and also ill of a strong appetite."

"Ye was always fond o' speakin' in riddles," said Paul. "What d'ye
mean, Mahoghany!"

"I mean that though there ain't much gold in these hills, maybe, what
little there is the seekers couldn't see, though they was walkin' over
it, an' they was so blind they couldn't hit what they fired