alo."

"Ef they didn't hev our kind they didn't hev any kind."

Paul did not argue the question with him, because it was useless to talk
to Long Jim about ancient glories, when modern glories that he
considered so much greater were before his eyes. Moreover, Paul himself
had a love of the greenwood, and the deep streams, so numerous.

"Maybe you're right, Jim," he said.

"I guess I am," returned Long Jim emphatically. "An' I don't think so
much uv them old Greek fighters 'long side the fellers that fight the
warriors nowadays in these woods. You rec'lect we talked that over once
before. Now, how would A-killus, all in his brass armor with his shinin'
sword an' long spear come out try in' to stalk an' Injun camp. Why,
they'd hear his armor rattlin' a quarter uv a mile away, an', even ef
they didn't, he'd git his long spear so tangled up in the bushes an'
vines that he couldn't move 'less he left it behind him. An' s'pos'n' he
had to run fur it an' come to a creek or a river, which he would shorely
soon do, ez thar are so many in this country, an' then he'd have to jump
in with 'bout a hundred pounds uv brass armor on. Why, he'd go right to
the bottom an' stick down so deep in the mud that the Injuns would hev
to dive fur his scalp."

"There's no doubt of the fact that this country would not have suited
Achilles."

"Not by a long shot, nor would it hev suited any other uv them fellers,
be they Greek or be they Trojan. S'pose the Injuns didn't git after 'em,
then think uv huntin' the buff'ler with your long spear, an' your
hundred pounds uv brass clothes on. Why, the Shawnees an' Miamis are a
heap more sensible than them old Greeks wuz. An', think what it would be
on a real hot day to hev to wear our metal suits! Paul, I'm givin'
thanks ev'ry few minutes that I wuzn't born in them times."

"A movement in the woods opposite!" announced Henry, who was on watch
now.

"Tell us about it," said Long Jim. "I'm too busy to stop my work and
look."

"I can see warriors stirring among the trees and bushes. They can't
understand our smoke, and they're all looking at it."

"Maybe they take it for a signal," said Paul. "Almost anyone would do
so."

"That's true," said Henry. "It looks natural. Well, let 'em wonder.
Meanwhile we'll go on with the provisioning of our army."

"'Tain't such a terrible task," said Long Jim. "Me bein' the best cook
in the world, it'll all be done in a couple uv hours more, an' bein'
sparin' we