human
I scarcely think it is, he said, with a trace of dryness.
gpt
As I pointed out once before, you do not seem to remember that I occasionally had Mr. Sewell and Ingleby here.
human
I'm afraid I didn't--I'm sorry, sir, said Esmond.
gpt
Of course, I should have done so. One could almost have fancied that they were here frequently.
human
Since you don't seem to care for my suggestion, have you any notions of your own?
gpt
I haven't, which is partly why I came to you. If I could only find a way of getting word to Victoria and a few more troopers in, it would be easy to bring them to reason. As it is, I have sense enough to realize that nobody would thank me for forcing a contest that could only end in disaster and the subsequent sending up of a battalion of Canadian militia. The miners are twenty to one, you see.
human
You are right in one respect, he said.
gpt
Personally, I shouldn't care to undertake the thing with less than three or four strong companies, and I'm not sure I could get in then. Well, since a compromise appears out of the question, you can only wait events.
human
That is the difficulty. I can't wait too long. We're on full rations still, but stores are getting low and certainly won't last until the thaw sets in. Of course, if affairs had been different, I could have hired enough of the fellows to break out a trail.