“You like um li’l Miss Pearson, huh?” said Tilly bluntly.
“What?” Toppy’s heart was pounding with sudden excitement. “What—what’s up, Tilly? There hasn’t anything happened to Miss Pearson, has there?”
“Uh! You like um Miss Pearson? Tell um Tilly straight or Tilly go ’way and no talk um more with you. You like her? Huh?”
“Yes,” said Toppy breathlessly, after a long pause. “Yes, I like her. What is it?”
“You no like see um Miss Pearson get hurt?”
“No, no; of course not. Who’s going to hurt her?”
“Snow-Burner,” said Tilly. “Tilly tell you this before she go ’way. Tilly going ’way now. Tilly going ’way far off to father’s tepee. Snow-Burner tell um me go. Snow-Burner tell um me go last night. Snow-Burner say he no want Tilly stay in camp longer. Tilly know why Snow-Burner no want her stay in camp. Snow-Burner through with Tilly. Snow-Burner now want um Miss Pearson. So.”
“Tilly! Hold on!” She had already turned away, but she halted at his voice and came close to the window. “What is this? Are you going away at once—because the Snow-Burner says so?”
The squaw nodded, stoically submissive.
“Snow-Burner say ‘go’; Tilly go,” she said. “Snow-Burner say go before any one see um me this morning. I go now. Must go; Snow-Burner say so.”