"No, sir; it's a fact, and nobody's opinion can alter it," said the colonel, who seemed to grow angry again when he looked at Oscar's well-conditioned cattle and noted the energy and willingness with which his men went about their work. "It is perfectly ridiculous to send a boy like you out to this detestable country on such a wild-goose chase. You'll never succeed--you'll never get over the town hill, _I_ couldn't."
"What was the matter?" asked Oscar, who knew very well what the answer would be. "Couldn't your oxen haul you over?"
"They might if they had got the chance, though I doubt it. They are a sorry lot compared with yours; and I don't for the life of me see----"
The colonel stopped there; but Oscar knew what he had in his mind.
He could not see how Oscar had managed to secure so fine an outfit, while his own, for which he had paid an exorbitant price, was so very inferior.
"My cattle might have pulled the wagon over the hill," continued the colonel, "but just as we came to one of the steepest parts of it the trek-tow broke, and we wasted four mortal hours in taking it to the blacksmith's shop and having it repaired. To make a long story short, we did nothing yesterday but run between the wagon and the shop with that chain, for it was broken as often as we hitched it to the dissel-boom. By that time everything and everybody began to get discouraged. The loose cattle and horses strayed away, the oxen refused to pull, and the driver showed his temper by running the wagon into a hole in which the ground was so yielding that one of the wheels sank down to the hub. That happened late last night, and as we could go no further we camped there. When I awoke this morning my oxen and most of my horses were gone, and so were my men, all except my body-servant, whom I left to guard the wagon while I came back here to see if I can find anyone who is fool enough to buy me out. Oh, it's a beastly country, and I have seen enough of it!"
The colonel in his rage talked very loudly, and Oscar--who out of the corner of his eye kept watch of the men at the bar--saw that when he began to talk of selling out they smiled at one another and exchanged sly winks and nods. That was just what they intended he should do.