“Does Joseph’s suggestion suit you?” Robert persisted.
“Sure, me suit,” replied the Pottowattomie seriously, and try as he might Robert was unable to get any other answer from the red man. The young frontiersman was full of mischief and took special delight in teasing Deerfoot. The Indian took everything seriously and never seemed to be able to appreciate the fact that white boys sometimes said things in fun that they did not mean.
“Oh, you’re hopeless,” exclaimed Robert in mock despair. “Haven’t you any sense of humor at all, Deerfoot?”
“Huh?” grunted the Indian blankly.
“Never mind,” laughed Robert. “You’re all right, Deerfoot, and if I meant all I said the way you do I guess I’d be a better citizen than I am now.”
Deerfoot did not understand what all this talk was about and he looked in amazement from one to the other of the boys. They were much amused at his bewilderment, but they soon ceased teasing him. It always made them feel that they were taking an unfair advantage of their faithful friend, and like all true sportsmen they derived no pleasure from a contest that was unequal.
“I wonder if there has been any fighting lately,” said Joseph a few moments later.
“Of course there has,” exclaimed Robert. “It is going on all the time and at this very minute I suppose some poor family is being murdered.”
“Where?” demanded Deerfoot innocently.
“I don’t know where,” said Robert. “I just said I supposed some family somewhere was being murdered.”