I stared at him open mouthed, but to my intense admiration neither Nux nor Bryonia exhibited the least surprise.
“Orders?” asked Bry, quietly. “Do you blame us that the whites are fools, and speak like fools? My brother has surely more wisdom than that. If you knew the white dogs, you would believe that their tongues are like the tongues of parrots.”
“I know them,” answered Ogo, grimly. Then he asked, abruptly:
“Where did you learn the language of my people—the ancient speech of the Techlas?”
“It is my own language, the speech of my people of Tayakoo, whose chief I am.”
They looked upon each other with evident curiosity, and I examined the two Indians, as they stood side by side, and wondered at their similar characteristics. Bryonia might easily be mistaken for a brother of the San Blas chief, so far as appearances went, and although Nux was of a different build there were many duplicates of him in the silent crowd surrounding us.
“Where is Tayakoo?” asked Ogo.
“Far to the south, in the Pacific ocean.”
“What is the history of your people?”
“I do not know.”