Old Wolfe seemed dying of sorrow.
That evening as Jacob sat on the three-legged stool, smoking his short Indian pipe, he again would have the whole story of their wanderings over, and the history of all their doings and contrivances.
"And how far, mes enfans, do you think you are from the Cold Springs ?" "At least twenty miles, perhaps fifty, for it is a long long time now since we left home, three summers ago." "Well, boys, you must not reckon distance by the time you have been absent," said the old "Now I know the distance through the woods, for I have passed through them on the Indian trail, and by my reckoning as the bee flies, it cannot be more than seven or eight miles--no, nor that either." The boys opened their eyes.

"Jacob, is this possible?
So near, and yet to us the distance has been as great as though it were a hundred miles or more." "I tell you what, boys, that is the provoking part of it.

I remember when I was out on the St.John's, lumbering, missing my comrades, and I was well-nigh starving, when I chanced to come back to the spot where we parted; and I verily believe I had not been two miles distant the whole eight days that I was moving round and round, and backward and forward, just in a circle, because, d'ye see, I followed the sun, and that led me astray the whole time." "Was that when you well-nigh roasted the bear ?" asked Louis, with a sly glance at Hector.
"Well, no; that was another time; your father was out with me then." And old Jacob, knocking the ashes out of his pipe, settled himself to recount the adventure of the bear.

Hector, who had heard Louis's edition of the roast bear, was almost impatient at being forced to listen to old Jacob's long-winded history, which included about a dozen other stories, all tagged on to this, like links of a lengthened chain; and was not sorry when the old lumberer, taking his red nightcap out of his pocket, at last stretched himself out on a buffalo skin that he had brought up from the canoe, and soon was soundly sleeping.
The morning was yet grey when the old man shook himself from his slumber, which, if not deep, had been loud; and after having roused up a good fire, which, though the latter end of July, at that dewy hour was not unwelcome, he lighted his pipe, and began broiling a fish on the coals for his breakfast; and was thus engaged when Hector and Louis wakened.
"Mes enfans," said Jacob, "I have been turning over in my mind about your sister, and have come to the resolution of going up the river alone without any one to accompany me.

I know the Indians; they are a suspicious people, they deal much in stratagems, and they are apt to expect treachery in others.