But, as he passed the corner, his whistling ceased. The story was told! And a far better one than any his memory could furnish.
The young watchers caught their breath. Poor Captain Lem! Rushing thus to his own undoing! But still they had to gaze and gaze—they could not turn their eyes away; and gazing they beheld a stranger thing than any which had gone before.
That was the jolly Captain clapping his hands as if in glee, bowing before the silent Chief, almost prostrating himself, in fact. Afterward a brief clasping of hands between the two and the Captain beginning a long harangue in a strange tongue, interrupted now and then by grunts and gutturals from the attentive Indians. Then giving the Chief his finest military salute, the Captain “right faced” and silently marched away. The Indians as silently followed him, the Chief first, and the others in single file, till they all disappeared toward the Barracks, and the youngsters were left gasping in amazement.
A sigh of relief rose from them in unison and, hearing it, Molly lifted her face. She only had seen nothing of the pantomime, or such it seemed which had been enacted, though she had heard through her terror the whistling of the Captain and its abrupt ceasing.
“Is—is—he—dead?” she whispered.
“He’s the liveliest dead man I ever saw. Come on, boys! That’s the sight of our lives! Who’s afraid?” cried Herbert, springing up and eager.
But his sister clutched his arm. “No, no, Bert! You mustn’t! You shan’t!”
“I shall and will! So should you—all! Whoever they are they’re friendly. Else old Lem wouldn’t have seemed so pleased and led ’em off with his best ‘hep, hep, hep,’ that way. I’ll bet they’re Utes, good neighbors of the white ranchers, but they’re genuine Indians all the same and I’m going to see them. My! But I did feel mighty weak in the knees for a minute! I thought it was all up with yours truly. Come on, I say!”
He really wished to follow but, evidently, he also wished to have his courage bolstered by the presence of his mates.
Oddly enough it was Monty who first joined Herbert. He was still half afraid, yet also wild with curiosity. His was the least war-like spirit there, but he couldn’t withstand this knowledge at first hand of real, live Indians.