"Is she open?" asked Bill, who was in a hurry to get in.
Skinny didn't answer. He was peering up and down the ravine to see if anybody was looking. When he found that no one was in sight he motioned for us to go in.
"Old Long Knife will guard the pass," said he.
And he did, for when I put my head out of the cave a little later to find out why he did not come, he was fighting like sixty. He swung his club and jumped around for a minute; then gave a fearful whack and drew himself up with his arms folded, like an Injun or a bandit.
"Lie there, villain!" he hissed. "Sick semper turn us, and don't you forget it."
After that he came in with his face all red, he had been working so hard. We already had the candle lighted and were ready to begin.
"Fellers," said Skinny, when we all had sat down on the floor in front of him and I had called the roll. "I don't know whether this is the Band or the patrol, or whether we are bandits, or Injuns, or Scouts, and I don't know that it makes much difference. I am captain of the Band, but what we want to find out is, who is leader of the patrol. We could fight for it, perhaps, only I hate to muss my clothes."
Some looked at Bill, for we knew that he kind of wanted to be leader. He would make a good one, too, only it seemed to belong to Skinny.
Nobody said a thing for 'most a minute. Then Benny stood up, bumped his head against the roof of the cave, and sat down again.
"Mighty chief," said he, when we were through laughing at him, "may I speak and live?"