“Jest the same, I’d been glad to have him pick another.”
“What shall I tell him vhen I go back?”
Benson got up and closed the flap of the skin tepee, to keep the Utes from peering in. But as he came back he laughed; for shadows dropping down showed that they had sought the ground, and he saw then the lower edges of the skins lifted and black eyes looking in.
“Yet there are some people who say that an Indian is a stolid thing, without curiosity!” he commented. “Take a look at that line of eyes, will ye?”
“I am seeing them,” said White-eyed Moses. “What was you going to do?”
“I was going to look at the clothing and stuff you brought me, but I won’t do it now. You can tell me about it; not many of them understand English.”
“There is a suidt of cloding,” said the fiddler. “Also vhiskers and mustache, and a vig; nothing cheap, you understand, but expensive goodts, the best that could be had in ’Frisco. He sent Swansea Bill to ’Frisco to get them for this very occasion. Dhen there are paints and dyes, and all dhat. You will find idt gomplete.”
“What’s my lay?”
“Gopher Gabe left it to you. But he said if you could appear dare as some officer with authoridy to act, you could get through the chail easy enough. Chust what that authoridy would be he dit not know; he left it to you. But he said, too, that vonce you was in the newspaper line, and you might use that.”