"Bill," he said, "you're allus tellin' us somethin' 'bout somethin' what we don't know nothin' 'bout, with th' idee of gettin' us t' think you're a pretty wise feller. Now, all this you've bin tellin' us 'bout Injuns sounds reason'ble, but if you want us to really b'lieve it, you've got t' show us. Ain't that so, fellers?"
The others, thus appealed to, nodded solemnly.
"How'm I goin' t' prove it?" asked Bill, thus driven into a corner.
"By gettin' Injun t' talk," Charlie answered. "An' furthermore I'll betcha a can of peaches or a apple pie for each one of this gang, all 'round, that you can't prove it."
Canned peaches are regarded as a great luxury in the West, or were at that time, to say nothing of apple pies, and Bill considered the matter. Moreover, his reputation was at stake, and that was a bigger thing to him than peaches or apple pie either. After careful thought he spoke.
"I'll have t' go you," he said, "but there's two conditions to this here contest."
"Give 'em a name," said Charlie.
"Th' first is, that Injun's gotta be among friends."
"We're all his friends," Charlie said. "Won't we do?"