He's nice feller dat way; he give up easy.

Ba gosh! I never see worse place for skeeters!" Gale fell silent, and "No Creek" Lee began to swear in little, useless, ineffective oaths, which were but two ways of showing similar emotions.
Then the former stepped up and laid a big hand upon Poleon's shoulder.
"That saves us quite a trip," he said, but "No Creek" Lee continued to swear softly.
It seemed that Poleon's wish was to be gratified, for no news of the missing man came through in the days that followed.

Only at a fishing village far down the river, where a few native families had staked their nets and weirs for salmon, a hunter told a strange tale to his brothers--a tale of the white man's idiosyncrasies.

In sooth, they were a strange people, he observed, surpassing wise in many things, yet ignorant and childish in all others, else why should a half-naked man go wandering idly through the thickets holding a knotted rag behind his back, and that when the glades were dense and the moss-chinks filled with the singing people who lived for blood?
The elders of the village nodded their heads sagely, and commended the hunter for holding aloof from the inert body, for the foolishness of this man was past belief, and--well, his people were swift and cruel in their vengeance, and sometimes doubted an Indian's word, wherefore it were best to pay no heed to their ways and say nothing.

But they continued to wonder why.
Father Barnum found the three still talking in the store when he had finished an hour's counsel with Necia, so came straight to the point.
It was work that delighted his soul, for he loved the girl, and had formed a strong admiration for Burrell.