This was not pleasing to foresee, and Yan said, "Why can't we make a dam?"
"A little too much like work."
"Oh, pshaw! That'd be fun and we'd have a swimming-place for all summer, then. Come on; let's start now."
"Never heard of Injuns doing so much work."
"Well, we'll play Beaver while we do it. Come on, now; here's for a starter," and Yan carried a big stone to what seemed to him the narrowest place. Then he brought more, and worked with enthusiasm till he had a line of stones right across the creek bed.
Sam still sat naked on the bank, his knees to his chin and his arms around them. The war-paint was running down his chest in blue and red streaks.
"Come on, here, you lazy freak, and work," cried Yan, and flung a handful of mud to emphasize the invite.
[189] "My festered knee's broke out again," was the reply.
At length Yan said, "I'm not going to do it all alone," and straightened up his back.
"Look a-here," was the answer. "I've been thinking. The cattle water here. The creek runs dry in summer, then the cattle has to go to the barnyard and drink at the trough—has to be pumped for, and hang round for hours after hoping some one will give them some oats, instead of hustling back to the woods to get fat. Now, two big logs across there would be more'n half the work. I guess we'll ask Da to lend us the team to put them logs across to make a drinking-pond for the cattle. Them cattle is awful on my mind. Didn't sleep all night thinking o' them. I just hate like pizen to see them walking all the way to the barn in hot weather for a drink—'tain't right." So Sam waited for a proper chance to "tackle" his father. It did not come that day, but at breakfast next morning Raften looked straight at Yan across the table, and evidently thinking hard about something, said: