it's all the rage with us. I'm straining to show how
pleased I am. Ah--how's all the little papooses? Has the hired girl
kicked for another afternoon a week, and who's the latest married man
to run away with another woman? That may not be wigwam gossip, but
it's all we know in our set; it's all the small-talk I have."

The Indian solemnly accepted the preferred hand, studying it curiously
as his own brown one shook to Torrance's welcome.

"Me spik English," he grunted.

Torrance grinned foolishly. "Good--Lord!"

"Me spik English, too," murmured the squaw sweetly.

"Well, I'm bunco'ed!" Torrance rolled his eyes helplessly. "Take a
hand, Tressa. Fancy meeting a family of redskins a thousand miles from
nowhere and asking what make o' car they use!"

"Both spik English," said the Indian without a smile.

Torrance groaned. "Can you smile in English? This is getting on my
nerves."

The Indians looked at each other, and as if one spring worked the
mechanism their faces relaxed.

"Look at that, Adrian. That's prairie manners for you. I suppose if I
asked him to jump off the trestle--"

The Indian shifted about and gravely regarded the long drop. Torrance
clutched his arm and led toward the shack.

"Don't you do it, Chief. I ain't worth it."

He brought chairs from the sitting room.

"I don't even know whether you sit down. I haven't a pipe that would
go round, but there's a fair tobacco you're welcome to. It don't make
bad chewing. Tressa's awful glad to see you. We haven't had a caller
since the new curtains went up."

The Indian was not listening; his eyes were on the two horses tied
beyond the door. Gathering his blanket about him, he went to them,
running a hand over them with the air of a connoisseur. He stooped to
their feet, his two braids, twined through and through with bits of
coloured cloth, falling over his ears.

"Good!" he grunted.

"Just what I said," agreed Torrance amiably, "--of course, after I'd
paid for them. Best bits o' horseflesh this side of anywhere. Broke
'em myself, so I ought to know."

"Daddy!"

"Maybe not quite broke 'em," corrected Torrance easily, "but they
nearly broke me. Picked 'em from a bunch of the finest animals ever
came off a ranch--"

"Daddy!"

"That _was_ a fine lot, Tressa--and those two were the best of the
bunch."

"How much?" The Indian's face was expressionless.

The contractor blinked. "You don't want to buy? I thought Indi