Sergeant Ordway, with Pryor and Gass, met in one of the many little ominous groups that now began to form among the men in camp. Captain Clark was sleeping, exhausted.
"It stands to reason," said Ordway, usually so silent, "that the way across the range is up one valley to the divide and down the next creek on the opposite side. That is the way we crossed the Alleghanies."
Pryor nodded his head.
"Sure," said he, "and all the game-trails break off to the south and southwest. Follow the elk!"
"Is it so?" exclaimed Patrick Gass. "You think it aisy to find a way across yonder range? And how d'ye know jist how the Alleghanies was crossed first? Did they make it the first toime they thried? Things is aisy enough after they've been done wance--but it's the first toime that counts!"
"There is no other way, Pat," argued Ordway. "'Tis the rivers that make passes in any mountain range."
"Which is the roight river, then?" rejoined Gass. "We're lookin' for wan that mebbe is nowhere near here. S'pose we go to the top yonder and take a creek down, and s'pose that creek don't run the roight way at all, but comes out a thousand miles to the southwest--where are you then, I'd like to know? The throuble with us is we're the first wans to cross here, and not comin' along after some one else has done the thrick for us."
Pryor was willing to argue further.
"All the Injuns have said the big river was over there somewhere."
"'Somewhere'!" exclaimed Patrick Gass. "'Somewhere' is a mighty long ways when we're lost and hungry!"
"Which is just what we are now," rejoined Pryor. "The sooner we start back the quicker we'll be out of this."
"Pryor!" The square face of the Irishman hardened at once. "Listen to me. Ye're my bunkmate and friend, but I warn ye not to say that agin! If ye said it where he could hear ye--that man ahead--do you know what he would do to you?"
"I ain't particular. 'Tis time we took this thing into our own hands."
"It's where we're takin' it now, Pryor!" said Gass ominously. "A coort martial has set for less than that ye've said!"
"Mebbe you couldn't call one--I don't know."
"Mebbe we couldn't, eh? I mind me of a little settlement I had with that man wance--no coort martial at all--me not enlisted at the toime, and not responsible under the arthicles of war. I said to his face I was of the belief I could lick him. I said it kindly, and meant no harm, because at the time it seemed to me I could, and 'twould be a pleasure to me. But boys, he hit me wan time, and when I came to I was careless whether it was the arthicles of war or not had hit me. Listen to me now, Pryor--and you, too, Ordway--a man like that is liable to have judgment in his head as well as a punch in his arm. We're safer to folly him than to folly ourselves. Moreover, I want you to say to your men that we will not have thim foregatherin' around and talkin' any disrespect to their shuperiors. If we're in a bad place, let us fight our ways out. Let's not turn back until we are forced. I never did loike any rooster in the ring that would either squawk or run away. That man yonder, on ahead, naded mighty little persuadin' to fight. I'm with him!"