or one week."

"You whites," said Rabbit Tail, "work heap hard for what you get--huh?
If you live like Injun, no worry 'bout food, go out shoot 'em. No worry
'bout bed. Sleep in sand, huh?"

Roger nodded. "I think many times you're right, Rabbit Tail. But it's
too late now. Whites have lived like this too many hundreds of years.
They can't change to your ways any more than Indians can change to white
ways."

Again there was a long pause before Rabbit Tail began once more.

"You know you whites kill many Injuns. Give Injun dirty sickness--kill
Injun babies. Me--I see white take Injun baby by feet, smash head
against rock. See Injun squaw belly cut out by white man. You know all
that?"

Roger nodded. "The whites have been rotten to the Indians. I don't blame
you for hating us. But how about Charley and the little girl?"

One of Qui-tha's squaws spoke. She had been educated at an Indian
school.

"Charley showed me how to cure my baby of sore scalp and how to take
care of him when he had croup. She lets me stay with her when he is sick
or I am."

"She lets me use her sewing machine whenever I want it," spoke up a
pretty young squaw in a red gingham dress.

"When old Chachee die," an elderly Indian woman looked from Charley to
Rabbit Tail, "she die in Charley's house. Charley help sickness in her
chest better'n medicine man."

Roger looked at Charley. He knew that she liked the Indians but she
never had mentioned her good works to them.

The educated squaw spoke again. "I hate most white women. They treat us
as if we were servants. But Charley treats us as if we were human beings
like herself. And Felicia was a beautiful child."

"It's queer some of you have never been near Charley then, in her
trouble," said Roger.

"The men have been working for months on the government dam at Bitter
Peak. We were with them and just got here three days ago. Of course,
Qui-tha didn't tell what little he knew. If the men won't help Charley,
we women will. We could carry water to the field."

Qui-tha rose and walked over to Charley. "Qui-tha heap sorry. You give
Qui-tha to sheriff."

Charley shook her head. "What good would that do?"

"All right then, Qui-tha go help one week, fix the alfalfa."

Old Rabbit Tail lighted another cigarette. "We come Monday, bring
fifteen men, one week," he said.

"You know neither Roger nor I have any money, Rabbit Tail," explained
Charley.

"Money no pay for blood. You good to Injuns.