Steve Young Part 54

"She'll chust let her stay?" said the boy insinuatingly.

"Stay? You stay, my lad? What for?"

"She thenks she can help find him."

"Why, what makes you think that?"

"Aw dinna ken," said the lad, shaking his head. "She only thenks she can find him. She can climb and rin. Ye'll chust let her stay?"

"But you don't want to find him," cried the doctor. "You two were the worst of friends."

"Freends? She woodna be freend, only chust acquaint; but she'd like to find him, all the same."

"Stay," said the captain laconically. "You may be of use; but I'm afraid that we can do nothing but wait."

Watty Links stepped back, giving himself a punch in his side, which seemed to indicate that he was intensely gratified.

Then the word was given, the men tightened their track ropes, and went off with the sledge and its heavy load of fresh meat at a pretty good rate, while Captain Marsham and his companions stood gazing round, and considered what direction it would be best to take.

Then a thought struck the captain, and he turned to the boy.

"Look here, my lad," he said quickly, "if you stay here I shall want you to stop by the fire while we go about searching."

"She'll want her to stop by the fire?" said Watty in dismay.

"Yes."

"What, all alane?"

"Yes, while we search, so that some one may be here if Mr Stephen comes back while we are gone."

"But alane by her nainsel'?" faltered Watty.

"Of course. There, be off with you. Run after the men; you can easily overtake them."

"She dinna want to go after the men," said Watty stoutly. "She wants to find Meester Stevey, and ye said I micht stop."

"Then you must do what I want you to do, sir. Are you afraid?"

"Aye, she's a bit skeary aboot stopping here all alane."

"Off with you, then!"

"Nay, she said I micht stop."

"Then you will have to stay and keep watch by the fire."

"She wants to go and find Meester Stevey."

"I have no time to argue with you, sir. Go or stay," said the captain angrily.

"She's chust going to stop," said Watty sullenly.

"The boy has stuff in him," said the captain to Mr Hands...o...b..; "and he has a kind of attachment to Steve after all their bickerings and fighting. Now, then, we must have another search; which way do you recommend, Johannes?"

"There is no choice, sir," said the Norseman gravely; "one place is as likely to be right as another. There is a little valley yonder behind the coal. Shall we try that?"

"Yes," was the laconic answer; and the captain stood thinking for a few moments, and using the little gla.s.s he carried to sweep the mountain-side, and then the slopes and plain opening behind them.

"She'll pe getting ferry hungry," said Watty, "and she'd petter eat some of the tear."

The captain shook his head.

"Eat, Johannes," he said. "You, too, Hands...o...b..."

The Norseman nodded.

"I cannot eat now, sir," he said; "but I'll take enough with us for all.

We shall be faint and want food by-and-by."

"Yes, take some," said the captain. "Now, my man, you will keep up the fire and have some of the meat they have left ready to cook when we bring back Mr Stephen?"

"Tat's what she was gaen to do," said the lad quickly.

"We shall not be away more than an hour, if he comes back first. There is nothing to mind."

"Put if the beast come what'll she do?"

"Beasts? They are not likely to come here."

"Put if she shall come, what then?" queried Watty sharply.

"Then," said the captain, smiling--"why, then you must climb up the cliff there, and wait till we come back."

"Yes," said Watty thoughtfully; "tat's the pest thing to do."

Five minutes later he was alone frizzling more of the reindeer haunch freshly cut from the bone with his big sharp knife, for the others had started off at once for the little valley Johannes had pointed out.

"She'll pe ferry lanely all alane," said Watty, after watching till the doctor, who was last, had disappeared. "What'll she do till they come pack?"

He stood watching the fire, and thinking. Then at last:

"There'll pe plenty left for Meester Stevey when she comes, and she tidn't get enough pefore, so she'll pegin to eat over again."

CHAPTER THIRTY TWO.

STEVE'S ADVENTURE.