“No one who knows him dares take the trouble to try.”
“That’s strange. I had an idea cowboys were not afraid of anything.”
“It is plain you do not understand what a dangerous man Indian Charlie is, Mr. Merriwell,” said the rancher’s daughter. “You must be sure to keep away from him, as you cannot be sure he will not take offense at some trivial thing and force you to apologize.”
“Indeed!” smiled Merriwell, lifting his eyebrows. “This man grows more and more interesting to me.”
“Yaw, he peen very inderestin mit me,” broke in Hans. “I vos goin’ to kept meinself a goot vays near off from him.”
“Miss Rodney,” said Harry, “you have said just enough to arouse Frank Merriwell’s curiosity, and now he will not be able to keep away from this Indian Charlie. He is certain to do something to stir Charlie up at the first opportunity.”
The girl turned pale.
“Don’t do it, Mr. Merriwell, I beg of you!” she cried. “You will simply humiliate yourself, for you will be forced to apologize to save yourself from being shot.”
Frank laughed.
“Don’t let that worry you, Miss Rodney,” he said. “I assure you there is no cause of alarm. I am not going to chase him with a chip on my shoulder.”