human
Look! Look here! he cried, wildly.
gpt
What fools we are! We can overtake those fellows--catch 'em--cut 'em off before they get anywhere--and get back our grub, and the foxes, and the canoe--everything--why--
human
What's that? What do you mean?
gpt
See, this is where we are, isn't it? Those thieves will go down here to the mouth of the Smoke River, and turn up it to their camp. They didn't have much outfit with them; so they'll go back to their shanty. It's about fifty miles round by the way they'll go, but if we cut straight across country--this way--we'd strike the Smoke in twenty-five miles, and be there before them.
human
I do believe you've hit something, Fred!
gpt
Buck Rapids.
human
Let's see! calculated Horace hurriedly.
gpt
They can run down to the mouth of the Smoke in a few hours from here. After that it'll be slower work, but they'll have the portage trails that we cut, and they ought to get up beyond the long lake by this evening. Can we get across in time to head 'em off?
human
We must. Of course we can! Fred insisted.
gpt
It's our only chance, and you both know it. We never could get home with our boots gone, and with the food we have, but this venison will last us across to the Smoke.
human
Patch our boots up with the deerskin! cried Mac.
gpt
We'll ambush 'em. We'll catch 'em on a hard carry. Only let me get my hands on 'em!
human
Then we haven't a minute to lose!
gpt
Let's be off!