“It is I who am in the best of company. The man who saved my boy’s life is the best company I shall ever enjoy. Say no more. I am only sorry that that splendid Indian fellow is not here to go with us.”
“I do not believe Noisy Charlie would care to go with us,” said Stanley. “We must do something handsome for him, if we can only find the right way. Maybe, Abner can help us out on that.”
“I’ll do anything fer Charlie,” said Abner earnestly. “It was really the Injun that pulled us all through.”
“No one shall be forgotten,” assured Thaxter. “Stanley has made a memorandum of all of his friends. There is a White and a McPherson and a French Louey—”
“Let’s not go into that,” blushed Stanley.
“We’d better be hurrying,” worried Abner. “If I’m going to eat in a railroad car I don’t want the supper to git cold. S’pose that cookee of yer’n will have some hot tea? Don’t want him to bother to make it, but if he’s got any on the back of the stove I’d like a cup, I guess. All these happenings sort of make me nervous.”
“You shall have all the tea you can drink,” promised Stanley. “And strawberries and—”
