“Wal, ma’am, as this is tew be yer hoam now, I s’pose ye’d like tee know it, I didn’t hev’ much tew notify me ye’s comin’ or I’d had things lookin’ a little purtyer ’round here. Ye see this ’ere is the ‘kitchin,’ and threw yender’s our room; I’ll show it tew ye.”
The woman rose and passed from the room, jabbering a few words to one of the Indians. Lifting a heavy bear-skin, she motioned for Emily to pass through. It was very narrow, scarcely six feet in width, though perhaps twice that length. The only relief to the mud-bedaubed walls, consisted of two piles of skins for couches, and a couple of blocks, like those without. Emily shuddered as she took in the whole of the narrow apartment at a glance.
“Thare, ma’am,” the creature said, with a tone of officiousness, “this is our room. The men foaks sleep out there”—indicating the apartment they had just left. “Ye see I think this is a real purty room, don’t you, Miss—?”
Emily did not heed the implied question, but inquired whom she styled the “men-folks.”
“Why, Mister Ashbey, when he’s here, and the Injin-men; thar’s two on ’em stays here most o’ the time. But, while they were gone I had the hull house tew myself. I suppose, miss, so long as we kalkerlait tew be reum-mates, ye’ll hev’ no objection tew tellin’ me yer name, all in confidence, ye know.”
“Certainly,” Emily replied, with forced composure. “I have no reason to conceal my name. I am called Emily Hinton—my father was Elisha Hinton.”
“Lishur Hinton!” the other responded, somewhat surprised. “Why, I used tew know your foaks, and maybe yew’ve hearn o’ me. My name is Sall Simms—I used tew live in the settlements, years ago.”
Emily had heard of “Sall Simms.” For the first time she now recollected having heard that Wild Bill had married her, and taken her home to his Indian settlement. She stated as much to the woman herself.
“Oh yis,” was the ready response. “Me an’ Billy could not live without each other; so when he ’cluded tew move this way, we jist hitched, and cum with him. But, I didn’t change my name ’cos I didn’t see any use on’t.”
Sall soon excused herself to attend to household duties, while Emily sunk upon one of the piles of skins. From the painful reverie into which she fell, our heroine was soon aroused by the harsh voice of Sally, calling her to dinner.