me what will, I am going
back!"

The impulsive American, after his kind, was bound to seal the bargain
with a hearty handshake; and Eli, not to be outdone in the matter, also
thrust out his broad "paw" as he called it, squeezing that of the other
with a strength that made Owen wince a bit.

At the same time the observing Cuthbert could not but note the gritting
of Owen's teeth when he declared that he was ready to go back into the
country from which he had apparently just come; it would appear as
though some recent experience up the river did not linger fondly in his
memory, and that when he came paddling downstream in his battered old
bullboat it might have been with the idea of quitting the country for
good.

Naturally this aroused a little curiosity in the other's mind, though he
was not addicted to this failing overly much.

What could there be in the depths of the wilderness to bring about this
aversion on the part of young Dugdale?

If Cuthbert had allowed himself to ruminate upon this subject all sorts
of suspicions might have been aroused; but he was by nature too frank
and generous to judge a stranger before he had been given a chance to
explain; and the more he looked in the face of the lad, and noted the
calm depths of his gray eyes the stronger grew his conviction that Owen
Dugdale, as he called himself, could not descend to anything wrong.

Some persons carry their character in their faces, and he was of the
number. So Cuthbert made up his mind to chase all suspicion from his
mind; if in his own time the Canadian chose to confide in him, well and
good; until then he would forget what he had seen of first anxiety and
then grim determination, stamped upon that young face.

Both of the would-be explorers were cast in somewhat of a merry mould,
and it was impossible to be in their company long without partaking of
their happy-go-lucky spirit.

To the sober Owen this was about as fine a thing as could ever have
happened, for he found it utterly out of the question to ponder gloomily
upon the bitter past while these two chaps were whipping jokes back and
forth, and insidiously drawing him into the conversation, until greatly
to his astonishment he even burst out into a hearty peal of laughter,
the first expression of merriment that had sprung from his heart for
many a day.

Perhaps a benign Providence had taken pity upon him, and was now bent on
sending sunshine where hitherto there had been little sav