Surprised and not at all pleased, some of the guests upon the veranda stared at the aged redskin and the presuming young fellows who had brought him thither. The two saddled horses had been turned over to the care of a boy.
McGregor placed the easiest chair for old Crowfoot, but the chief declined to take it.
“No like-um chair,” he said, as he slowly let himself down to a sitting posture upon the floor of the veranda, placing his back against the hotel wall. “When Shangowah get so he can’t sit this fashion, he stand up till he flop over for good. He take little smoke now.”
The old rank, black pipe was produced, crumbed tobacco jammed into the bowl with a soiled thumb, and Crowfoot lighted up. As the breeze carried the tobacco smoke from his lips toward some of the near-by guests they turned up their noses still further and moved away, making some low, uncomplimentary remarks.
“Dear me!” chuckled Tommy Tucker. “The dukes and duchesses seem disturbed by the fragrant aroma of the chief’s calumet.”
“Never mind them,” said Dick. “Let’s mind our own business and pay no attention to people whose delicate sensibilities are so easily disturbed. Tell me, Shangowah, how has the world been using you?”
“Ugh!” grunted Crowfoot, pulling slowly at the pipe. “Same old way. Knock-um Injun ’round like young palefaces kick football. Sometime old Joe he be up; sometime he be down in mud. No can seem to settle nowhere. Injun have no home now. Palefaces take it all; pretty soon, bimeby, he own the earth.”
“That’s practically his now,” grinned Tucker, “and with flying machines he’s preparing to set forth for the conquering of other worlds.”
“I was doing well guiding this summer,” said young Joe, “when I received my grandfather’s letter asking me to meet him here. I need all the money I can earn to help me through college, but——”
“Shangowah he have little dough in his kick,” interrupted the old man. “He have ’nough to pay bills for his grandson one whole year at white man’s big school. He no take chances to send it by mails; he want to hand it over himself, so he send for young Joe.”