Rivers could only think of the pedler, and yet, such was his habitual
contempt for that person, that he dismissed the thought the moment it
came into his mind. Troubled thus in spirit, and filled with a thousand
conflicting notions, he had almost reached the rocks, when he was
surprised to perceive, on a sudden, close at his elbow, the dwarfish
figure of our old friend Chub Williams. Without exhibiting the slightest
show of apprehension, the urchin resolutely continued his course along
with the outlaw, unmoved by his presence, and with a degree of cavalier
indifference which he had never ventured to manifest to that dangerous
personage before.
"Why, how now, Chub--do you not see me?" was the first inquiry of
Rivers.
"Can the owl see?--Chub is an owl--he can't see in the moonlight."
"Well, but, Chub--why do you call yourself an owl? You don't want to see
me, boy, do you?"
"Chub wants to see nobody but his mother--there's Miss Lucy now--why
don't you let me see her? she talks jest like Chub's mother.
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