"I've saan them things before," added Tim O'Rooney. "The Apaches and Mohaws in New Mexico make 'em. It has tuk a couple of squaws the bist part of a year to do the same."
"But where is the owner? An Indian could not lose such a thing without knowing it. Why, it is a load to carry, and I should expect to lose my coat as soon as to part with this."
Of course there could be no explanation of the cause of the blanket being found where it was. It was plain that no Indian could have parted with it unknowingly, and its high value made it still more puzzling that it should have been left in such a place. It might be that the owner—some fragile Indian girl—had wearied with carrying it, and had thrown it down for a warrior friend of hers to pick up and take to its destination for her.
This conjecture, made by Tim O'Rooney himself, raised a serious question as to whether they had a right to carry the blanket away when there was good reason to doubt its being lost or abandoned.
"If a year's work has been lavished upon it," said Elwood, "it cannot be possible that it has no owner."
"I think Tim is right; he or she expects to return or send and get it."
"But it is singular that if such is the case it should be left here, when it could have been easily hid in these bushes."
"That only proves that there are no people about—no white ones at least. If the owner had any fear of this place being visited by Christians, he would have taken pains to hide his property; but as he was sure there were none but savages and heathen, he was certain his blanket was safe."
Howard Lawrence, jesting though he was, spoke the truth, and deeply ashamed are we to confess it.
The question received an unexpected and unmistakable solution. While they were still conversing, they descried a gaudily dressed, rather handsome-looking squaw tripping lightly behind them. Her head was bent, and she did not discover them until the growl of the dog caused her to raise her head. She was then within a dozen yards of Howard, he being in the rear and holding the blanket in his hand. She looked at them with an alarmed expression in her strange dark eyes, and seemed to be too much frightened to think of fleeing.