es--tellum frien' yo', no frien'. Yo' no more tellum stop
yo' wikiup. Kay bueno. Yo' thinkum frien'. All time him have bad heart
for yo'. Yo' got ranch. Got plenty hay, plenty apple, plenty all thing
for eat. All time him think bad for yo'. All time him likum steal yo'
ranch."

Peaceful laughed indulgently. "You no sabe," he explained. "Him like
my ranch. Him say, long time ago, pay much money for my ranch. Me no
sell--me like for keep all time. Baumberger good man. Him no steal my
ranch. Me got one paper from government--you sabe?--one paper say ranch
all time b'longum me all same. Big white chief say ranch b'longum me all
time. I die, ranch b'longum my boys. You sabe?"

Peppajee considered. "Me sabe," he said at length. "Me sabe paper, sabe
ranch all time b'longum yo'. All same, him like for ketchum yo' ranch.
Me hear much talk, him talk Man-that-coughs, tellum him ketchum ranch.
Much white man come, so--" He lifted one hand with thumb and fingers
outspread, made a downward gesture, and then raised three fingers.
"Catchum ranch."

Peaceful shook his head while he smiled. "No can do that. Mebbyso much
men come, heap fight, mebbyso killum me, ranch all same b'longum my
boys. Men that fights go to jail, mebbyso hangum." He indicated by signs
his exact meaning.

Peppajee scowled, and shook his head stubbornly. "Me heap sabe. All
same, ketchum yo' ranch. Man-that-catchum-fish kay bueno. Yo' thinkum
frien', yo' damfool. Him all same rattlesnake. Plenty foolum yo'. Yo'
see. Yo' thinkum Peppajee Jim heap big fool. Peaceful Hart, him all time
one heap big damfool. Him ketchum yo' ranch. Yo' see." He stopped and
stared hard at the dim bulk of the grove, whence came the faint odor of
smoke from Baumberger's pipe.

"Yo' be smart man," he added grimly, "yo' all same kickum dat mans
off yo' ranch." For emphasis he thrust out a foot vigorously in the
direction of the house and the man he maligned, and turned his face
toward camp. Peaceful watched until the blanketed form merged into the
dusk creeping over the valley, and when it disappeared finally into the
short cut through the sage, he shook his gray head in puzzlement over
the absurd warning, and went back to talk politics with Baumberger.

CHAPTER X. MIDNIGHT PROWLERS

Came midnight and moonlight together, and with them came also Good
Indian riding somewhat sullenly down the trail to the ranch. Sullen
because of Evadna's attitude, which seemed to him permanently
ant