The Argosy, November 1908 — page 37: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

BY BULLET hands and my hunting-knife, but I had made good shift with these before. And at last my feast was ready. I. replenished the fire and cut another great hunk to roast, for I had conceived an idea. Sharpening a stick, I speared the piece I had already cooked, and with my knife cut off a thick slice. Taking this in my fingers, I sent my big and useful teeth through it, and was just in the glory of congratulating my- self when I heard a grunt. I had heard no footsteps, but this was the grunt of aman. I leaped up, and seized my rifle. “No need shoot,’’ came a voice, and the owner of the grunt came from be- hind a slab of rock. It was Billy Barefoot. Shod as he was, in the heavy shoes the Indians bought from the agents, his step had been so light I had not heard it. He was indeed well named. He stood looking at me with a broad grin, and his eyes lit up when he saw the bear meat. “ Good! ” he exclaimed. You shoot him?” “JT shot him,” I said, in no very friendly way. ‘I suppose, in the name of hospitality, I’ve got to invite you to have some. [I'll tell you straight from the shoulder, though, I don’t feel like it.” Without changing his grin he calmly sat down, drew his own knife, and cut off a slice for himself. “Good. Very good,” he said. ‘“ How you feel?” ‘““T feel a good deal like you'd feel, I suppose, if you’d been chased for miles by a half-dozen Yaquis that wanted to kill you, been hurled from a horse down a ravine, and attacked again by the same Yaquis.” “T know. kill them.” “T killed one. I wounded two. But it was not due to any extraordinary skill, courage, or wisdom on your part. What the devil do you mean by hiding yourself and the other five, and then sending the whole blamed village of Yaquis after me?” He grunted out a laugh. “Very good way. Now I explain while you eat. You mad with Billy “ Very good. But they no kill you. You PERSUASION. 603 Barefoot. Yes? But when I tell you, you won’t be mad. See?” “Not yet,” I answered, cutting an- other slice. “Ha! Just so. Now I tell you and you won’t be mad. Long time ago some Yaquis come to our place and steal two Moqui girls. We come after them and they come here. ‘“‘Vaquis are wild, fierce, bad Indians, but they are not like Indians of our country. No. They go like buffaloes, all in a heap. And they fight, fight, very bad. “That time I hide many long days around this place. I learn this gorge. I learn about the lake where they find rubies. Yaquis no use have for rubies. But when you told about rubies, I know right away. “Well, we six Moquis can’t fight all the Yaquis. So we shoot one side, two side, three side, four side. They think village surrounded, and all go get guns. Then they see you. “We didn’t know they would see you. We know they all go together some way. And so they did. Very bad they go after you, but they no shoot you, so very good. Now see. ‘They will go on. Little Elk, Run Fast Jim, and Red Two Legs, all together now. They keep shoot, shoot, all time and run. So. Yaquis go on and on, so we don’t fight. Tom Mud and Bill Faraway, they meet us at lake. I come look for you. I smell bear meat, know you great hunter, and find you. Very good. I will eat some more bear meat.” And he cut another generous supply. “ Well,” I rejoined, somewhat molli- fied by what he had said, “I suppose your explanation does really explain, but all the same, we came here to find my wife and take her home. Not to make her a widow.” He shook his sides with silent laugh- ter. “Don’t make widow. Moqui Indian say good all the time till bad comes. You are not-shot. Very good. We get wife.” “Where is she? Have you learned anything? ”’ “Yes. I'll show you to-morrow. We sleep here to-night.” - ‘Sleep here? Why, there are Yaquis all around.” comiclooks.corn