"I'll take charge o' tellin' _them_ in good time; an', I think, can
answer for their standin' by us in the bizness. Thar's fifty thousand
dollars, clar cash, at the bottom of it; besides sundries in the trinket
line. The question then is, whether we'd best wait till this nice
assortment of property gets conveyed to the place intended for its
destination, or make a try to pick it up on the way. What say ye,
fellers? Let every man speak his opinion; then I'll give mine."
"You're sure o' whar they're goin', capting?" asks one of his following.
"You know the place?"
"Better'n I know the spot we're now camped on. Ye needn't let that
trouble ye. An' most all o' ye know it yourselves. As good luck has
it, 'taint over twenty mile from our old stampin' groun' o' last year.
Thar, if we let em' alone, everythin' air sure to be lodged 'ithin
less'n a month from now. Thar, we'll find the specie, trinkets, an'
other fixins not forgetting the petticoats--sure as eggs is eggs. To
some o' ye it may appear only a question o' time and patience. I'm
sorry to tell ye it may turn out somethin' more."
"Why d'ye say that, capting? What's the use o' waitin' till they get
there?"