‘I ’low we’ll wait till spring comes along,’ answered Ephraim oracularly. ‘Ef ye’re ez sot upon it then ez ye air now, I’ll see what I kin do.’
‘That’s a bargain, then,’ said Lucius. ‘I just long to see a real good battle. Mind, if you go back on me now, I’ll call you a coward and start without you.’
‘I ain’t any coward,’ answered Ephraim quietly, though his pale face flushed slightly; ‘leastways ez fur ez goin’ along with ye is consarned. Ye don’t imagine I’d go fer ter lose sight of ye, Luce?’ he finished, with a catch in his voice.
‘Oh no,’ said Lucius, mollified. ‘Only I thought that maybe you couldn’t understand my feelings. You’re a dear old thing, Grizzly; but you’re a rough bit of stick, you know, and you haven’t so much at stake as people like us.’ And the young aristocrat drew himself proudly up.
‘Thet’s a fact,’ nodded Ephraim; ‘though I ain’t heard ez the fust families hez been doin’ all the fightin’.’ There was a subdued grin on his face as he spoke.
‘Of course not,’ said Lucius hastily. ‘Our fellows are stark fighters all round; but it’s men like my father and Jackson and the rest who lead the way. You know that well enough.’
Ephraim stretched out his brown hairy paw and drew Lucius towards him. ‘I only know I’d die fer ye glad and willin’ ef ye war ahead, Luce,’ he said tenderly.
‘Shucks!’ exclaimed Lucius impatiently; ‘who said anything about dying? Now it’s all settled, and you’ll come.’
‘I’ll be on time,’ said Ephraim. He was silent for a moment, during which he thought deeply. Finally he said,’Ye air jest sot ter see a battle, ain’t ye, Luce?’
‘Yes,’ answered Lucius. ‘Didn’t I tell you so?’
‘Waal,’ resumed Ephraim, ‘wouldn’t ye be content jest ter see wan, without arskin’ ter take a hand in the fightin’?’
‘Whatever do you mean by that?’ queried Lucius. ‘I don’t understand you.’
‘Waal, it don’t matter,’ said Ephraim, ’fer I reckon I han’t got no very cl’ar idee of what I mean myself ez yet. Anyway thar’s heaps of time. We’re on’y beginnin’ December now, and thar’ll be nuthin’ this long while. Ef ye’re still sot in spring, why, we’ll see.’
‘See what?’ demanded Lucius impatiently. ‘Can’t you explain?’
But Ephraim either could not or would not, and presently Lucius took his departure in high dudgeon.
