We capered till fairly out of breath, and then, slapping him on the back shoulder, I asked whose land all this was about us.
He replied that it was no one's, all waste from verge to verge.
"What!" was my exclamation.

"All ownerless, and with so much treasure hidden hereabout! Why, I shall annex it to my country, and you and I will peg out original settlers' claims!" And, still excited by the mountain air, I whipped out my sword, and in default of a star-spangled banner to plant on the newly-acquired territory, traced in gigantic letters on the snow-crust--U.S.A.
"And now," I added, wiping the rime off my blade with the lappet of my coat, "let us stop capering about here and get to business.

You have promised to put me on the way to your big city." "Come on then," said the little man, gathering up his property.

"This white hillside leads to nowhere; we must get into the valley first, and then you shall see your road." And right well that quaint barbarian kept his promise..