ges so--so long as they is
savages."

This argument, although exceedingly obvious, seemed even to his own mind
to possess so little power, that he endeavoured to enforce it by
slapping his thigh with such energy that the body of the red squirrel
nearly jumped out at its own eyes. It clasped the tree stem to its
beating heart bravely, however, and, judging from its subsequent
conduct, speedily recovered its self-possession.

"That's how it is," continued Bounce; "an' that bein' the case, savages
always invariably thinks o' number one before they thinks on anythin'
else. Now, as men judges theirselves so they judges of others--that's a
fact, as all feelosophy has preclaimed, an' all experience has pruven.
Wot then? Why, them savages 'll think I've cleared off--made tracks--
thankful to git away with my own skin whole, and carin' no more for my
comrades than if they wos so many stumps. Thinkin' that, of coorse
they'll think it's o' no use to try to cross the river and give chase,
'cause I've got a long start o' 'em, an' so, d'ye see, they'll give me
up an' think no more about me. Good! very good! But p'r'aps it's jest
poss'ble that feller whose paw I tickled _may_ sometimes recall me to
mind."

This last idea tickled the trapper so powerfully that he chuckled in a
quiet way, and in doing so exposed such a double row of white teeth that
the squirrel, which had remained for some time in an attitude of deep
attention, began to show symptoms of uneasiness.

"Now I'll tell you wot I'll do," continued Bounce, resuming his look of
grave anxiety as the thought of his comrades recurred to him; "I'll go
up the river till I comes to opposite the place where I shoved the canoe
into the water. By the time I git there it'll be dark; then I'll swum
across an' foller the redskins an' save my comrades if I can. If I
can't, wot then? why, I'll leave the scalp of Bob Ounce to dangle in the
smoke of a redskin's wigwam."

We have elsewhere hinted that when a Rocky Mountain trapper makes up his
mind to do a certain thing he usually does it at once. Having settled
the plan of his future proceedings, Bounce did not waste more time in
thought or speech. He thrust his unsmoked pipe into his bosom, leaped
up from the trunk of the fallen tree, and darted from the spot with such
sudden promptitude, that the horrified squirrel sprang wildly into empty
space and vanished from the scene for ever!

For a quarter of an hour Bounce glided n