“Tell him,” said Trim, sternly, “that the white traveler proposes to go toward the setting sun, and that there must be no delay about it.”
“Those warriors,” suggested the interpreter, timidly, “could overcome the whole of us easily.”
“Tell him what I said!” exclaimed Trim, sharply.
The interpreter therefore turned to the elder and while he was speaking Trim and Dobbin reopened the box of trinkets.
They took out double handfuls of them and brought them to the elders, who on this occasion received the articles from the white man’s hands.
They were evidently greatly pleased, although they tried to look serious and unmoved.
Many of the trinkets were intended for wearing as if they were jewelry.
The elders could not resist the temptation of stringing the beads around their necks, putting the cheap bracelets on their arms, etc., to see how they looked.
This done, they strutted up and down for several minutes, speaking to each other and apparently discussing the wonderful value of the articles.
The chief elder went to one of the others, took a bracelet from his arm and put it on his own; the other jabbered at him apparently in indignation, whereupon the chief elder took the smallest string of beads from his own neck and gave it to the one from whom he had taken the bracelet.