"Sure, and I'm to give drinks all around when they're through, as my part of the fun. Ye'd better go along."
"But I'll be too late."
"Not a bit of it. Some of the preliminaries, such as the prayers and hymns, will be over, but you'll be in time fer the fun; they'll be in no hurry."
"Good. I'll go. Take care of my gear, will you, till I come back."
With this Pritchen left the saloon and made his way over to the Indian village.
CHAPTER XIV
THE UNEXPECTED HAPPENS
The debate was well advanced when Pritchen entered the building. The rough benches were all filled, so he stood with his back to the door among several who were in a similar situation. The chairman of the meeting, Caribou Sol, was sitting at the farther end of the room before a small table. At his left sat Keith, by the side of the mission harmonium, which had been brought over from the church for this special occasion. A portion of the room behind the chairman was hidden by a bright coloured curtain. This was a source of wonder to the audience, and aroused in their minds various conjectures.
"That's where they keep the goat," said one talkative fellow. "Don't you see his horns?"