"It was this way, I was playing the game with them when I stepped on Elephant Face's foot. He didn't like it. I guess he has corns on his feet as well as on his face. He punched me. I punched him back. Then the show began. We had a little argument, with the result that you already have observed," answered Stacy pompously.
"You needn't get so chesty about it," rebuked Ned.
"Chief," said the Professor, turning to Chick-a-pan-a-gi, "I don't know what to say. I am deeply humiliated that one of our party should engage in a fight with—-"
"I didn't engage in any fight," protested Stacy. "It wasn't a fight, it was just a little argument."
"Silence!" thundered the Professor.
"I trust you will overlook the action of this boy. He was very much excited and——-"
"Fat boy him not blame. Fat boy him much brave warrior," grunted the chief. "Afraid Of His Face he go ha-wa. Stay all day, all night. Him not brave warrior."
The chief accentuated his disgust by prodding his homely son with the toe of a moccasin. Afraid Of his Face got up painfully, felt gingerly of his damaged nose, and with a surly grunt limped off toward his own ha-wa, there to remain in disgrace until the following day.
"Fat boy come smoke pipe of peace," grunted the chief.
"No, thank you. No more pieces of pipe for mine. I've had one experience. That's enough for a life time," answered Stacy.