“I can remain here without danger, can I not?”
“Yas, I guess so—hold on, I’ll fix it for you.”
With this he strode rapidly toward a man who appeared to be the chief, and commenced a conversation. He understood the Sioux tongue well enough to hold quite an intelligible conversation. The talk lasted but a moment, when he returned.
“You needn’t be skeerish,” said he; “I’ve made it all right. I told that old chap you wanted to take a look at the country hereabouts, to skeer up some furs fur us agin. He was a little s’pishus at fust, shoot me ef he warn’t! and he axed ef you wanted to run off with that gal o’ theirs, ’cause ef you war, you’d better leave yer ha’r behind you. There’s been two or three round these parts after her, and he won’t stand it no longer. You’ve got to be mighty shy, Jarsey, I kin tell yer; but I hope you’ll git her fur all that, ogh!”
“I am grateful to you for this kindness, Biddon——”
“Never mind ’bout that; come to the pint ef you’ve got anything to say.”
“I had nothing except to express my thanks, which you seem averse to receiving.”
“It does go again my stummick, I allow, Jarsey; when you come the squaw over me, I can’t stand it. Yer’s as likes to talk fair and squar, and leave the rest. Shoot me ef I doesn’t! Wal I does, ogh!”
“I suppose the time has come for us to separate, then, Biddon?”
“Leastways it’s close at hand. Think you’d better go up to Selkirk settlement with us; don’t s’pose you will; think you’re a fool, shoot me ef I don’t, ogh!”