“That’s the way it struck me.”
“Wanted to send up a signal?” asked Jack.
“Might be. Yuh never can tell.”
Hashknife walked back to the doorway and watched the Chinaman finish the cooking of the meal. He did not trust the cook. They ate the meal, but kept one eye on the Chinaman. Hashknife tried to draw him into conversation, but the Chinaman hid behind his “No sabe.”
When they had finished, Hashknife walked over to the stove, filled the fire-box with pitch-pine wood and went out into the yard, where he picked up the green stick. The Chinaman watched him put it into the stove, shut the fire-box door and sit down again.
“Whasamalla you?” asked the Chinaman. “Yo’ say no can do——”
“Can do now,” grinned Hashknife. “Plenty good smoke, eh?”
“No sabe.”
The Chinaman shook his head violently.
“Nobody asked yuh to,” said Hashknife, getting to his feet.