Good Indian

d disk hanging low over the bluffs of Snake River, he rose, carefully knocked the ashes from his little stone pipe, with one mechanical movement of

narrow gully at the very edge, almost, of the bluff, he stopped, and

lvet, lined here and there with the irrigation ditches which kept it so. And in the center of the meadow, a small inclosure marked grimly the spot where lay the bones of old John Imsen. All around the man-made oasis of orchards and m

through a jumble of great bowlders, came out eventually into the dust-ridden trail of the white man. Down that he walked, erect, swift, purposeful, his moccasins falling always with the precision of a wild animal upon the best fo

to the trail again, a scant two hundred yards from the Hart haystacks. When he reached the stable, he stopped and looked warily about him, but there was no sight or sound of any there save

Wally over his cigarette.

o while his eyes traveled slowly and keenly around the group lounging at ease above him. Upon the bulky figure

eap many fish." Peaceful's mild, blue eyes twinkled over his old meerschaum. He knew the ways of Indians, and more

eful's suspicion. "Me heap sabe Man-that-catchum-fish." After which he stood as before, his arms f

ted pacifically, while Baumberger chuckled at the Indi

ndicate that he heard o

on the hill. Hope you've got good watchdogs-they're a thieving lot. If they're a nuisance, Hart, I'll see what can be

uble about it," Peaceful returned

er cow.' There may be good ones among the lot," he conceded politely when he saw that his time-worn joke had met with disfavor, even by

ed Peppajee quizzically. "Don't pay to have any truck with 'em while you feel that way about it." He smooth

any way you look at 'em,

ou keep on," Wally interrupted bluntly. "Peppajee

tly from the iron triangle on the back porch and saved the situation from becoming too awkward. Even Baumberger let his tilted chair down upon its four legs with a haste

lingered upon the porch to urge hospitab

with unmistakable finality. "No eat

l right. I eat, then I talk with you." He turned somewhat reluctantly and follow

resettled his disreputable old sombrero upon his head and stared fixedly at the crimson glow which filled all the west and made even the rugged bluff a wonderful thing of soft, rose tints and shadows of royal purple.

talk Man-with-big-belly.

his guest. "Something he wants to tell me, Baumberger; k

much of a stranger you've got to stand on ceremony. Go on, and find out what the old buck wants; he's got something on his mind, that's sure. B

d faced Peaceful, his arms folded, one foot thrust forward in

rien'. I yo' frien' all same. Yo' no likum otha white man. Yo' all time bueno. Yo' house all same my wikiup. Me come eat a

tingly, "you no tell lies, Peppa

no more tellum stop yo' wikiup. Kay bueno. Yo' thinkum frien'. All time him have bad heart for yo'. Yo' got ranch. Got

Me no sell-me like for keep all time. Baumberger good man. Him no steal my ranch. Me got one paper from government-you sabe?-one pap

or ketchum yo' ranch. Me hear much talk, him talk Man-that-coughs, tellum him ketchum ranch. Much white man come, so-" He

ome, heap fight, mebbyso killum me, ranch all same b'longum my boys. Men tha

damfool. Him all same rattlesnake. Plenty foolum yo'. Yo' see. Yo' thinkum Peppajee Jim heap big fool. Peaceful Hart, him all time one heap big damfoo

the man he maligned, and turned his face toward camp. Peaceful watched until the blanketed form merged into the dusk creeping over the valley, and when it disap