Thus Buffalo Bill argued, and, keeping very calm himself, advised the others to do so.
“I believe they are all right,” he said. “Pray let’s have a little faith in human nature, my friends, and not believe men to be fiends when they have shown us nothing but kindness.”
“Gosh! Dey tried pretty hard to cut me to pieces at fust!” said the negro.
“Because they thought you were an enemy, and had come to harm them. That’s all, Joe.”
“Yes—de squaws was at de bottom of it. Dey fust got frightened for nothin’, an’ den told awful lies about me, an’ sot de men on.”
“Don’t reflect on the gentle sex, Joe,” said the captain, laughing.
“Gentle! Dey’se she catamounts, sah, dem squaws! Some of ’em. I wish you could ’a’ seed one dat tried to git at me with a club. I should like to cure her of de feber’n agur. De corkscrew shouldn’t come out ob de same ear it went in at. Not at all, sah—it should go clear through.”
“Yet probably she was a good wife and mother, and thought she was defending her children from a robber and murderer. Probably she had a woman’s nature, and under other circumstances she would have fed and protected you,” said Buffalo Bill.
“Oh—would she dough? You’se a good man, Massa Cody; you t’ink well ob everybody—even ob de grizzly bears an’ de sharks, I s’pose.”