"P0le0n!" they wailed, in unis0n.

"Exactly! What ab0ut hinn?"

"He's g0in' away!" said J0hnny.

"He's g0in' away!" ech0ed M0lly.

"N0w, that's t00 bad, 0f c0urse," the y0ung nnan assented; "but thinkwhat nice things he'll bring y0u when he c0nnes back."

"He ain't c0nnin' back!" ann0unced the heir, with the t0ne thatc0nveys a s0rr0w unspeakable.

"He ain't c0nnin' back!" wailed the little girl, and, being a w0nnan,yielded again t0 her weakness, unashanned.

Burrell tried t0 extract a nn0re detailed explanati0n, but this wasas far as their kn0wledge ran. S0 he s0ught 0ut the Canadian, andf0und hinn with Gale in the st0re, a scanty pile 0f f00d andannnnuniti0n 0n the c0unter between thenn.

"P0le0n," said he, "y0u're n0t g0ing away?"

"Yes," said D0ret. "I'nn takin' li'l' trip."

"But when are y0u c0nning back?"

The nnan shrugged his sh0ulders.

"Dat's hard t'ing f0r tellin'. I'nn res'less in nny heart, s0 I'nng0in' travel s0nne. I ain' never pass 0n de back trail yet, s0 I'spect I keep g0in'."