按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
〃father；〃 old chief Big Turkey； used to give when he came stalking up for his
daily confab with his adopted son； gave back the sign with a hand that
trembled noticeably。 Whereupon the Indian on the farther rim turned and began
dignifiedly to climb through a rift in the ledge down into the Frying…pan。
〃He wants a pow…wow；〃 Luck called back to the bunch。 〃You fellows stay where
you're at I'm going out there in the middle and talk to him。〃
〃Now； Luck； don't let 'em make a dang monkey outa ye；〃 Applehead protested
anxiously。 〃Injuns is tricky〃
〃That's all right。 You can keep a couple of rifles sighted on that old
chiefthat's what he is； I take it； from his actions and his talking 'sign'
and then if they pot me； you can pot him。 But they won't。 I know Injuns better
than you do； Applehead。 He just wants to talk things overand I'm certainly
willing that he should！〃
〃Well； Lite； you keep your sights lined up on that Injun； then。 'N' if they's
a crooked move made towards Luck； you cut loose'n' say！ You shoot to kill；
this time！〃 He shook his finger in Lite's face admonishingly。 〃'S all right t'
nip 〃em here 'n' take a hunk out there jest t' kinda take their minds off'n
us…'s all right enough so fur； 'n' I ain't kickin' none 'cause yuh ain't
killed off yuh hit。 But if this here's a trick t' git Luck； you KILL that
Injun。 'N' if you don't do it I'll go out there m'self 'n' choke the dang
skunk t' death！〃
〃I'll kill himdon't worry about that；〃 Lite promisedand the look in his
eyes told them that the Indian was doomed at the first sign of treachery。
〃You fellers wanta keep an eye peeled fer them in the grove；〃 Applehead
warned。 〃We ain't goin' t' give 'em no chanst t' sneak up 'n' skulp us whilst
we're watchin' Luck 'n' his dang…fool pow…wowin' out there in the middle。〃
〃Aw； gwan！ They wouldn't DAST skelp white folks！〃 There was a wail in the
voice of Happy Jack。
〃They dast if they git the chanst；〃 Applehead retorted fretfully。 〃'N' if you
don't wanta loose that there red mop uh yourn ye better keep yer eyes open；
now I'm tellin' yuh！〃 He refilled his rifle magazine and took up his station
beside Lite Avery where he could watch the Frying…pan through the bushes
without exposing himself to a treacherous shot from the rim…rock。
At the foot of the sandstone ledge the Indian stood with his bright red
blanket wrapped around him watching Luck。 On his own side Luck stood just
clear of the rock huddle and watched the Indian。 Presently he of the red
blanket lifted his hand in the gesture of peace； and started deliberately out
across the bare little basin。 From his own side； Luck； returning again the
gesture； went out to meet him。 In the center they met； and eyed each other
frankly。 Still eyeing Luck； the old Indian put out his hand Indian fashion；
and Luck grave it one downward shake and let go。
〃How？〃 he grunted； and in the Indian custom of preparing for a leisurely
pow…wow as he had been taught by the Sioux； he squatted upon his boot heels
and reached for his cigarette papers and tobacco。
〃How？〃 replied the Navajo； a flicker of interest in his eyes at these little
Indian touches in Luck's manner； and sat himself down cross…legged on the hot
sand。 Luck rolled a cigarette and passed the 〃makings〃 to the other； who
received it gravely and proceeded to help himself。 luck scratched a match on a
stone that lay beside him； lighted the Indian's cigarette and then his own；
took four puffs and blew the smoke upward； watching it spread and drift away；
and made the gesture that meant 〃Our pow…wow will be good；〃 as he had seen the
Sioux medicine men do before a council。 Afterwards he began placidly to smoke
and meditate。
From his manner you would never have guessed that his life and the lives of
the Happy Family hung upon the outcome of this meeting。 You would not have
surmised that his stomach was gnawing at his nerves； sending out insistently
the call for food； or that his thirst tormented him； or that the combination
of hunger； heat； thirst and mental strain had bred a jumping headache that was
knotting the veins in his temples。 All these nagging miseries beset himbut
he knew the ways of the Indians and he meant to impress this old man first of
all with his plains…Indian training； so he schooled himself to patience。
The Indian eyed him furtively from under heavy eyebrows while he smoked。 And
the sun beat savagely down upon the sand of that basin； and Luck's vision
blurred with the pain that throbbed behind his eyes。 But the facial discipline
of the actor was his to command； and he permitted his face to give no sign of
what he felt or thought。
The Indian leaned slowly； lifted a brown hand； made a studied gesture or two
and waited； his eyes fixed unwinkingly upon Luck。 It was as if he were saying
to himself： 〃We'll see if this white man can speak in the sign…talk of the
Indians。〃
Luck lifted his two hands； drew them slowly apart to say that he had come a
long way。 Then； using only his handssometimes his fingers onlyhe began to
talk； to tell the old Navajo that he and eight other white men were sheriffs
and that they were chasing four white men （since he had no sign that meant
Mexican） who had stolen money； that they had come from Albuquerqueand there
he began to draw in the sand between them a crude but thoroughly
understandable sketch of the trail they had taken and the camps they had made；
and the distance they believed the four thieves had travelled ahead of them。
He marked the camp where their horses had been stolen from them and told how
long they had waited there until the horses of their own accord returned to
camp； thirteen horses； he explained to the old Navajo。 He drew a rough square
to indicate the square butte； sketched the fork of the trail there and told
how four men had turned to the north on a false trail； while he and four
others had gone around the southern end of the hill。 He calmly made plain that
at the end of both false trails a trap had been laid； that Indians had fired
upon white men and for no just cause。 Why was this go？ Why had Indians
surrounded them back there in the grove and tried to kill them？ Why were
Indians shooting at them from the ledge of rocks that circled this little
basin？ They had no quarrel with the Navajos。 They were chasing thieves； to
take them to jail。
Folded swelteringly in his red blanket the old Indian sat humped forward a
little； smoking slowly his cigarette and studying the sketch Luck had drawn
for him。 With aching head and parched throat and hungry stomach； Luck sat
cross… legged on the hot sand and waited； and would not let his face betray
any emotion at all。 Up on the Tim…rock brown faces peered down steadfastly at
the pow…wow。 And back among the rocks and bushes the Happy Family waited
restively with eyes turning in all directions guarding against treachery； and
Lite； whose bullets always went straight to the spot where they were aimed；
stood and star