"And is it loaded now in the same way?"
The Indian remained silent.
"I'm willing you should have the full weight of it loaded," said Stephens, "I don't make any objection to that. Will you, then, fire off the load that's in it now, and put in another here before us all, that we may see how big a load you use?"
The Indian sullenly indicated dissent.
"We wish to have everything fair," said Stephens. "Why do you refuse?"
"It is very well as it is," muttered Mahletonkwa, looking singularly disconcerted.
"Then will you put the ramrod into the bore and let us see how big a load you have got in it?" persisted the American. "Or would you prefer that I should do it for you?"
He put out his hand as if to take the rifle for the purpose, but the Navajo sulkily caught it up himself. He spoke not a single word, and maintained an impassive face as he picked out a little tuft of rag that was wedged inside the muzzle of the gun, and, tilting the barrel slightly forward, allowed sixty or seventy small round bullets to run out one after the other, plop, plop, plop, into the scale.
A roar of scornful laughter went up from the Mexicans at this demonstration of the American's 'cuteness and the Indian's baffled cunning.
Mahletonkwa deliberately swept the bullets back into his pouch, and replaced the rifle in the scale.