“Try your kodak on him, then, Billie, and have something to show to prove your story when you come to spin it,” suggested Donald, who did not appear to be very much concerned over the new happening.
Apparently Billie thought this might not be a bad idea, for dropping his rifle he hastily swung the little camera around until he could grip it in both hands.
“Better hurry,” warned Adrian, “because I think he’s on to your dodge, and objects to being potted without having his palm crossed with silver. That’s the way with most of the Indians along the line of the Southern Pacific now; they dodge, and hide their faces whenever they see a camera coming, or poked at them, until you throw them a quarter, when they’ll pose.”
“Click!” went the shutter, followed by a satisfied exclamation from the operator.
“That was another good one, I’m telling you!” Billie affirmed, triumphantly; “mebbe I won’t have a dandy lot of views to pay for all my trouble in toting this same little black box all the way over desert and mountains.”
“He still watches us,” observed Donald; “and I’d give something just to know what is passing through the mind of that sharp old humbug right now; because he must guess that we’re interested in his actions, or we wouldn’t have followed him the way we did.”
“Oh!” remarked Adrian, “chances are he’s been followed many times before now, without anybody ever picking up any information worth while. Trust the crafty old scamp for knowing his business through and through. If you were close enough right now to see what he’s doing I reckon you’d find him laughing in his sleeve, as they say, because we ran smack up against a dead wall over there. We’re not the first, by a long sight, because the story of that lump of gold would be apt to lure lots of prospectors over this way. And they’ve been fooled every time by his disappearing so queer like. Perhaps some of them, being ignorant and superstitious like the Zunis, really began to believe the Witch Doctor did have the power to open the side of the mountain, whenever he wanted to talk with Manitou.”
“Anyhow, it’s plain he means to stand up there and watch us out of the place,” Billie went on to say; and then being overwhelmed with his customary desire to acquire information he added: “looks like the face of that cliff is as flat as any house wall; so what d’ye think he can be standin’ on up there all this while?”
“Some sort of small ledge, you’d find, if ever you got there,” Donald advanced, positively enough, as though it did not admit of a doubt in his mind.
“Oh! that’s it, eh?” Billie continued; “then he