"Good-morning, Captain," she called. "I'm glad you've come. Please tell Two Horns I want to have him sit for me."
Curtis, with a few swift gestures, conveyed her wishes to Two Horns, who replied in a way which made Curtis smile.
Elsie asked, "What does he say?"
"He says, 'Yes, how much?'"
"Oh, the mercenary thing!"
"Not at all," replied Curtis. "His time is worth something. You artists think the redmen ought to sit for nothing."
Two Horns ran through a swift and very graceful series of signs, which Curtis translated rapidly.
"He says: 'I have heard of you. You painted Elk's daughter. I hear you sell these pictures and catch a great pile of money. I think it is right you pay us something when we stand before you for long hours, while you make pictures to sell to rich men in Washington. Now, I drive a team; I earn some days two dollars driving team. If I stop driving team, and come and sit for you, then I lose my two dollars.'"
As he finished, Two Horns smiled at Elsie with a sly twinkle in his eyes which disconcerted her. "You sabbe?" he ended, speaking directly to her.
"I sabbe," she said, in reply.