At my age one
doesn't find very much difficulty in making the best of everything.
And I am about ready to quit now. I'd like to, in fact; I'm tired."
"Oh, but you can't quit until you've seen your redwoods again," Bryce
reminded him. "I suppose it's been a long time since you've visited
the Valley of the Giants; your long exile from the wood-goblins has
made you a trifle gloomy, I'm afraid."
John Cardigan nodded. "I haven't seen them in a year and a half,
Bryce. Last time I was up, I slipped between the logs on the old
skid-road and like to broke my old fool neck. But even that wasn't
warning enough for me. I cracked right on into the timber and got
lost."
"Lost? Poor old partner! And what did you do about it?"
"The sensible thing, my boy. I just sat down under a tree and waited
for George Sea Otter to trail me and bring me home."
"And did he find you? Or did you have to spend the night in the
woods?"
John Cardigan smiled humorously. "I did not. Along about sunset
George found me. Seems he'd been following me all the time, and when
I sat down he waited to make certain whether I was lost or just
taking a rest where I could be quiet and think."
"I've been leaving to an Indian the fulfillment of my duty," Bryce
murmured bitterly.
"No, no, son.
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