That hour which wooed Wetzel from his implacable pursuit was indeed a bewitching one.
There was never a time, when Joe lay alone in camp waiting for Wetzel, that he did not hope the hunter would return with information of Indians.

The man never talked about the savages, and if he spoke at all it was to tell of some incident of his day's travel.

One evening he came back with a large black fox that he had killed.
"What beautiful, glossy fur!" said Joe.

"I never saw a black fox before." "I've been layin' fer this fellar some time," replied Wetzel, as he began his first evening task, that of combing his hair.

"Jest back here in a clump of cottonwoods there's a holler log full of leaves.
Happenin' to see a blacksnake sneakin' round, I thought mebbe he was up to somethin', so I investigated, an' found a nest full of young rabbits.