“They’re goin’ to stone him,” Johnny told the Basque. “It’s a good old Piute trick.”
Gallup’s voice rose above the throbbing of the drum, but what he said was not intelligible to the two men watching him. Thunder Bird sat unmoved, gloating over the man before him, Aaron’s torrent of words only adding to his enjoyment.
At a signal from one of the chief’s sons the squaws left their gathering of rocks and approached the single lodge which had been erected. A brief wrangling, and Johnny saw Molly step forth from the tent’s folds. Ten seconds later the chief’s lodge fell in the dust. A brief moment of labor and the Indian women had it strapped on a pony.
Johnny saw Thunder Bird raise his hand as Molly approached him. Plainly he was exhibiting her to Gallup. The Indian’s sense of the dramatic was superb. He intended that Aaron should think that he had stolen her.
Gallup turned his entreaties to Molly, but she seemed deaf to them. Johnny saw her pick up a rock from the piles which the squaws had made. She held it out questioningly toward old Thunder Bird. Rapid words followed, the chief continuing to shake his head negatively.
Molly’s actions became vehement. The chief held up his hand to his women. It ended the argument, for the next second Molly was being led toward the distant crest of the large bowl.
“He wouldn’t listen to her,” thought the boy. “She savvied those piles of rock.” Aloud, then, he added:
“They’re sendin’ her away. It’s pretty refined of the old chief not to make her witness what’s comin’ off.”
“Well, what we do now?” Tony asked. “You t’ink she’s any good for go down there?”
“I’m goin’ to try it,” Johnny answered. “You stay here. Maybe they won’t let me come in to camp. If they do I’ll palaver and stall as long as I can. Kelsey and the others will be showin’ up before long. They can’t be asleep at the Agency to what is goin’ on. Ames is Injunwise. If these braves git started the top is likely to blow off before they’re calmed down again.”