Jack had to swallow two or three times before he could speak aloud then he answered in a voice that shook a good deal, "We're going up north to the Piegan camp."
"What ye goin' to do there?" came next.
"We're going to visit John Monroe, and stay in the camp all summer."
"Who's them Piegans ye're talkin' about?" said the negro.
"Why," said Jack, "they're a tribe of Indians up north."
"Who's John Monroe, ye was speaking of?" said the negro.
"He's a half breed, Hugh says, that was raised in the Piegan camp; always lived with them. He was down last summer to our ranch, and he asked Hugh and me to come up this summer and visit him."
On receiving this reply, the negro thought for a little while, and then talked in the unknown tongue to his companion, who had now crossed the stream and was standing near Jack. After the two had spoken for a few moments, the negro again turned to Jack, and said, "Who's that old man ye're travellin' with?"
"That's Hugh Johnson," said Jack; "he works on my uncle's ranch, down south."