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Lite； whose bullets always went straight to the spot where they were aimed；
stood and stared fixedly over his rifle sights at the red…blanketed figure
squatted in the sand and kept his finger crooked upon the trigger。 Beside him
Applehead fidgeted and grumbled and called Luck names for being so dang slow；
and wondered if those two out there meant to sit and chew the rag all day。
The Indian leaned and traced Luck's trail slowly with his finger。 Did the four
white men come that way？ he asked in sign。 And then； had Luck seen them？ Was
be sure that he was following the four who had stolen money in Albuquerque？
Come to think of it； Luck was not sure to the point of being able to take oath
that it was so。 He traced again where the hoofprints had been discovered near
the stalled automobile； and signed that the six horses they believed to have
belonged to the four who had taken two horses packed with food and blankets
and the stolen money。
Then suddenly Luck remembered that； for proof of his story； he had a page of
the Evening Herald in his pocket； torn from a copy he had bought on the
streets the evening after the robbery。 He pulled the folded paper out； spread
it before the other and pointed to the article that told of the robbery。 〃Call
some young man of your tribe who can read；〃 he signed。 〃Let him read and tell
you if I have spoken the truth。〃
The Indian took the paper and looked at it curiously。
Now； unless Applehead or some other hot…head spoiled things； Luck believed
that things would smooth down beautifully。 There had been some
misunderstanding； evidentlyelse the Indiana would never have manifested all
this old…fashioned hostility。
The blanketed one showed himself a true diplomat。 〃Call one of your white men；
that there may be two and two；〃 he gestured。 And he added； with the first
words he had spoken since they met； 〃Hablo espanol？〃
Well； if he spoke Spanish； thought Luck； why the deuce hadn't he done it at
first？ But there is no fathoming the reticence of an Indianand Luck； by a
sudden impulse； hid his own knowledge of the language。 He stood up and turned
toward the rocks； cupped his hands around his lips and called for the Native
Son。 〃And leave your rifle at home；〃 he added as an afterthought and in the
interests of peace。
The Indian turned to the rim…rock； held up the fragment of newspaper and
called for one whom he called Juan。 Presently Juan's Stetson appeared above
the ledge； and Juan himself scrambled hastily down the rift and came to them；
grinning with his lips and showing a row of beautifully even teeth； and asking
suspicious questions with his black eyes that shone through narrowed lids。
Miguel； arriving just then from the opposite direction； sized him up with one
heavy…lashed glance and nodded negligently。 He had left his rifle behind him
as he had been told； but his six…shooter hung inside the waistband of his
trousers where he could grip it with a single drop of his hand。 The Native
Son； lazy as he looked； was not taking any chances。
The old Indian explained in Navajo to the young man who eyed the two white men
while；he listened。 Of the blanket…vending； depot…haunting type was this young
man； with a ready smile and a quick eye for a bargain and a smattering of
English learned in his youth at a mission； and a larger vocabulary of Mexican
that lent him fluency of speech when the mood to talk was on him。 Half of his
hair was cut so that it hung even with his ear…lobes。 At the back it was long
and looped up in the way a horse's tail is looped in muddy weather； and tied
with a grimy red ribbon wound round and round it。 He wore a green…and…white
roughneck sweater broadly striped； and the blue overalls that inevitably
follow American civilization into the wild places。
〃'S hot day；〃 he announced unemotionally； and took the paper which the
red…blanketed one held out to him。 His air of condescension could not hide the
fact that behind his pride at being able to read print he was unhappily aware
also of his limitations in the accomplishment。 Along the scare…head Luck had
indicated； his dirty forefinger moved slowly while he spelled out the words。
〃A…a…bank rob！〃 he read triumphantly； and repeated the statement in Spanish。
After that he mumbled。 a good deal of it； the longer words arresting his
finger while he struggled with the syllables。 But he got the sense of it
nevertheless； as Luck and Miguel knew by the version he gave in Spanish to the
old Indian； with now and then a Navajo word to help out。
When he came to the place where Ramon Chavez and Luis Rojas were named as the
thieves； he gavea grunt and looked up at Luck and Miguel； read in； their faces
that these were the men they sought； and grinned。
〃Me； I know them feller；〃 he declared unexpectedly。 〃Dat day I seen them
feller。 They go〃
The old Indian touched him on the shoulder； and Juan turned and repeated the
statement in Spanish。 The old man's eyes went to luck understandingly； while
he asked Juan a question in the Navajo tongue； and afterwards gave a command。
He turned his eyes upon the Native Son and spoke in Spanish。 〃The men you want
did not come this way；〃 he said gravely。 〃Juan will tell。〃
〃Yes； I know dat Ramon Chavez。 I seen him ；dat day。 I'm start for home； an' I
seen Ramon Chavez an' dat Luis Rojas an' one white feller I'm don't know dat
feller。 They don't got red car。 They got big； black car。 They come outa
corralscare my horse。 They go 'cross railroad。 I go 'cross rio。 One red car
pass me。 I go along； bimeby I pass red car in sand。 Ramon Chavez； he don't go
in dat car。 I don't know them feller。 Ramon Chavez he go 'cross railroad in
big black car。〃
〃Then who was it we've been trailing out this way？〃 Luck asked the question in
Spanish and glanced from one brown face to the other。
The older Indian shifted his moccasined feet in the sand and looked away。
〃Indians；〃 he said in Mexican。 〃You follow； Indians think you maybe take them
awayput 'm in jail。 All friends of them Indians pretty mad。 They come fight
you。 I hear； I come to find out what's fighting about。〃
Luck gazed at him stupidly for a moment until。 the full meaning of the
statement seeped through。 the ache into his brain。 He heaved a great sigh of
relief； looked at the Native Son and laughed。
〃The joke's on us； I guess；〃 he said。 〃Go； back and tell that to the boys。
I'll be along in a minute。〃
Juan； grinning broadly at what he considered a very good joke on the nine
white men who had traveled all this way for nothing； went back to explain the
mistake to his fellows on the ledge。 The old Indian took it upon himself to
disperse the Navajos in the grove； and just as suddenly as the trouble started
it was stoppedand the Happy Family； if they had been at all inclined to
belittle the danger of their position； were made to realize it when thirty or
more Navajos came flocking in from all quarters。 Many of them couldand
didtalk English unders