Barry intended to get the upper hand of the Comanche guards, and he knew that to do so he would have to drug the fire-water.
The nearest Indian grasped the bottle. He threw back his head with the neck of the bottle in his mouth. The bottle was upturned, the Indian’s eyes sought the heavens and a gurgling sound told both of the others that the brandy was finding its level.
The other Comanche, Snapping Fox, seemed to think that if Red Pine waited until his eyes found the star they seemed to be in search of, the brandy would be all gone.
Accordingly he seized hold of the bottle and was soon in deep contemplation of the blue dome of heaven (apparently).
Any one, to see these two Indians examining the sky so steadily, would have felt sure that they were greatly interested in astronomy, and yet the two did not notice the stars while looking upward.
Their thoughts were all upon the liquor, and when the bottle was handed back to the owner, it was empty.
Barry was sharp, and he immediately said:
“I just brought this for a sample. If Red Pine and Snapping Fox do what I want them to-morrow, they shall have a dozen bottles of this fine fire-water.” He said this for a certain reason.
The Indians might rightly suspicion his motive for bringing them fire-water when they began to feel the effect of it, if he went right away. Now by his words he made them believe that he wanted a job done on the morrow, and that if they did it, he would give them a dozen bottles like the sample he had brought to tempt them.
“We do what Wizard say,” said Red Pine.