_ CHAPTER XI. FURTHER EAST
"With your lave?" said Tim O'Rooney, stepping forward and drawing the pipe of their Indian host from his mouth. The latter gazed at him in amazement but said nothing, and offered no objection to the impudent proceeding.
"I fales better," complacently added the Irishman as he emitted volume after volume of tobacco smoke. "We've had a good schlape, a good male, and I'm quieting my narves with the ould gintleman's pipe."
"It strikes me, Tim, you were rather discourteous," said Elwood. "Be careful that we do not trespass too much on his good nature."
"This is the calomel o' pace, as they calls it, and when you shmoke it it manes there's no enmity atween us. You see, the ould gintleman and meself have shmoked it together, and that makes us frinds. That is a wise shtroke of policy on the part of Tim O'Rooney, beside the comfort it gives him. Will aither of yez indulge in a few whiffs?"
Both replied that they did not use the weed in any form.
"That's right. It makes me indignant when I sees a youngster puffing away at a pipe or a segar; but never mind that, boys; do yez jist look over the top of our ould frind's head and tell me whether yez sees anything."
"I have noticed that fine-looking rifle before," replied Howard; "I only wish each of us had such a one."
"We will have that before we lave this mansion. Do ye mind that, boys?"
"I will starve to death before I will consent to take it away from the old Indian after the kind treatment he has given us," said Howard.
"So would I," promptly added Elwood. "No matter how badly we may want it I shall never consent to steal it."
"Shtale it! Who talks of shtaling it!" indignantly demanded Tim. "You're a couple of fine spalpeens, ain't you, to think that of me. I mane to buy it, and give the ould man his own price."
"What have you to buy it with?" asked Elwood in surprise. "I have a little money, but I don't believe it is enough to buy such a good-looking gun as that."
"No; if your pockets were lined with gold pieces he would care nothing for them," said Howard; "but what will you offer him, Tim?"
"Each of you has a knife, and likewise have I; you carry two pretty fine gold watches, while I've a bull's-eye as big as a half-dozen like them. An Injun will sell his squaw and lodge for such trifles."
"Well, try it, then."
The Irishman arose to his feet when, as a matter of course, the black eye of the old man was fixed upon him. He pointed to the gun overhead, whereupon the Indian, with surprising quickness, caught it down and held it with a nervous grasp, his squaw taking his seat beside him. Tim offered the three knives which the party owned for it, opening and flicking them to excite his cupidity. The eager look that came into his face showed that he understood what was meant; but he only hugged his property more tightly and shook his head from side to side.
"I knew he wouldn't part with it," said Elwood.
"Howld on a minute," replied Tim; "I'm only throwing out me skirmishers; I'll fetch him yet. He's larned how to make a bargain."
The Irishman now produced his watch--an immense affair that would have made a load for a small child. He pried open its gigantic case and showed the dazzling array of brass wheels and the glittering coil of steel. It could not but be attractive to a savage mind, and the Indian's eyes sparkled as he looked upon it.
"Keep yours and let me offer mine," said Howard.
"Howld on, I tell yees, howld on; maybe you'll both have to offer 'em afore he'll bite. My repater is like myself--it took too much salt water for its good and hasn't been well for a few months. If the ould thing would only tick a little he couldn't resist it; it has a beautiful voice when it starts--like a thrashing machine."
Equally to the surprise of Tim and the boys, the savage arose and handed the gun to the Irishman, who was only too glad to put his watch and three knives into his possession.
"I only wish he had a couple more," said Howard, "so that we could each get one. We ought to be able to take care of ourselves then."
Tim in the meantime was turning the rifle over in his hand and examining it with an appearance of great pleasure.
"That come from San Francisco," said he.
"How did it reach these parts?"
"Aisy enough, as me uncle said when he fell off the house. Some trader has let him have it for about five hundred dollars' worth of furs and peltries."
"Don't forget the ammunition," admonished Elwood, "or the gun will do us little good."
"Worrah! it's meself that came nigh doin' the same. That's a fine powdther-horn that he has. I say, Misther----"
Tim now began motioning very earnestly for this article, bullet-pouch and box of percussion caps that the savage had at his side; but the shrewd old fellow was sharper than they expected. He indulged in a peculiar grin, and held them very rigidly.
Howard laughed.
"You don't get anything more without paying for it?"
"What shall I pay? I've alriddy overdrawn me bank account, as they say."
"Let him take my watch," said Elwood. "Fact is, I think it has been ruined by the salt water."
"No, that's too much; haven't ye got some trinket about yees that isn't good for nothing and that you doesn't want?"
The boys searched themselves. Elwood finally produced a small silver pencil.
"Just the thing," said Tim.
But the old Indian, evidently failed to consider it just the thing, for he continued obdurate and shook his head.
A new idea struck Howard. He wrenched off several brass buttons from his coat, and handed them to Tim. The eyes of their host fairly sparkled, as does a child's at sight of a coveted toy, and rising to his feet he tottered hastily toward them, and tossed the coveted articles into the Irishman's lap.
"Now, if the owld gentleman would only dispose of his pipe and a ton or two of tobaccy to me, or make me a prisent of 'em, I'd lave and feel aisy."
A few more brass buttons procured this also, and our friends had good cause to feel delighted over the result of the bargain.
"There doesn't seem to be anything more that we can do, and it strikes me that it would be prudent for us to leave," said Howard.
"I think so," added Elwood. "I believe there are other Indians at hand, or within call, else he wouldn't be so willing to part with his gun."
The savage now rose and acted in rather a singular manner. Walking to the opening which answered for a door, he passed out and motioned for his visitors to follow. They did so, and when upon the outside he pointed off to the east, nodded his head, and swept his left arm.
"What does he mean?" asked Howard, totally at a loss to understand him.
"He means that this is the direction for us to follow."
"He maans, too, that there's danger in waiting here, and that we'd better be thramping."
Elwood took a step or two in the direction indicated to test the meaning of their friend. He nodded very earnestly, and satisfied them all that the safest plan was for them to leave as soon as possible, and take the course pointed out by him.
Accordingly, thanking him as well as they could by signs, the three moved away toward the east. _