Part 41 (1/2)
”Jinny, what are they going to do with me, do you know?”
The girl shook her head with emphasis.
”What tribe is this?”
”Blackfeet. Other paleface boy here too.”
Tad set down his plate and surveyed her inquiringly.
”Say that again, please. You say there's another paleface boy here in this village?”
Jinny nodded vigorously.
”Who is he?”
”Jinny not know.”
”When did he--how long has he been here?”
”Sun-up.”
”This morning?”
”Yes. He there,” pointing with a finger to the lower end of the village.
Tad's curiosity was aroused. He wondered if another besides himself had been made an unwilling guest by the Blackfeet wanderers. If so, it must have been by another party. A sudden thought occurred to him. Tad was wearing a cheap ring on the little finger of his left hand. He had picked up the ring on the plains in Texas. Hastily stripping it from his finger he handed it to the girl.
”Want it, Jinny?”
She did. Her eyes sparkled as she slipped it on her own finger and held it off to view the effect.
”Thank,” she said, turning her glowing eyes on Tad.
”You're welcome. But now I want you to do something for me. I'll send you another, a big, big ring when I get home, if you will help me to get away from here.”
Jinny eyed him steadily for a few seconds, then shook her head.
”I'll send you beads, too, Jinny--beads like the paleface ladies wear.”
”You send Jinny white woman beads!”
”I promise you.”
”Me help um little paleface buck. Me help um two,” she added, holding up two fingers. Without another word, she slipped from the tepee as silently as she had come.
Tad pondered over this last remark for some time. He did not understand what Jinny had meant.
”So I'm a buck, am I? That's one thing I haven't been called before since I have been out on the range. She said she would help me to get away. I wonder when she is going to do it.”
Though Tad waited patiently until late in the evening, he saw no more of the little Indian girl. Shortly after dark several camp-fires were lighted, the cheerful blazes lighting up the street or common in front of the row of tepees in which his own was located.