"Bill—Bill what? Hang the luck if I ever had a thing worry me like that seems to do," grumbled Lanky.
"Hello! at it again, are you? I believe that nonsense is going to keep you from enjoying a decent sleep to-night. Better try and curb that weakness, old chap. It will get you into no end of trouble, mentally," warned his comrade; at the same time secretly chuckling, for he knew Lanky could not change his nature any more than the leopard might his spots.
"Yes, there he is, cooking over the blazing fire. Bill may have been a tramp, but it strikes me I could give him a few pointers how best to make a fire when there's any cooking to be done. Give me the red embers, and the steady fierce heat. Are you going to hail him, Frank?"
"He's shading his hand to look out this way, already. I reckon he hears the click of our steel on the ice, for you know how sound carries when the river is frozen," and then raising his voice, Frank called: "Hello! there, Bill; getting grub ready?"
The tramp laughed as he answered back:
"She's done to a turn, boys. Hey, Lanky, if you want me to give evidence, you'll find me right here for some days!"
"All right, Bill. Say, those fellows didn't tackle you for what you said, did they?" asked the ice-boat
