Vietnam or Thailand ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
Updated: May 12, 2025
Peppajee grunted, stopped in the path two paces from the porch, folded his arms inside his blanket, and stood so while his eyes traveled slowly and keenly around the group lounging at ease above him. Upon the bulky figure of Baumberger they dwelt longest, and while he looked his face hardened until nothing seemed alive but his eyes. "Peppajee, this my friend, Mr. Baumberger.
Then deliberately he took another turn with the rock, sending the buckskin thongs deeper into the flesh, and held the burning pipe against the skin above the wound until Good Indian sickened and turned away his head. When he looked again, Peppajee was sucking hard at the pipe, and gazing impersonally at the place. He bent again, and hid the glow of his pipe against his ankle.
Good Indian was conscious of a distinct disappointment, though he kept it from his voice when he answered: "Oh, it's you, Peppajee. What you do here? Why you no sleepum yo' wikiup?" Peppajee held up a slim, brown hand for silence, and afterward rested it upon the saddle-fork. "Yo' heap frien' Peaceful. Me heap frien' all same. Mebbyso we talk. Yo' get down.
Been stealing fruit, maybe, and wants to square himself before you catch him at it." He laughed his laziest, and began leisurely to fill his pipe. Peppajee led the way to the stable, where he stopped short and faced Peaceful, his arms folded, one foot thrust forward in the pose he affected when about to speak of matters important.
Bimeby eat supper," Peaceful invited pacifically, while Baumberger chuckled at the Indian's attitude, which he attributed to racial stupidity. Peppajee did not even indicate that he heard or, hearing, understood. "Bothered much with Injuns?" Baumberger asked carelessly, putting away his pipe. "I see there's quite a camp of 'em up on the hill. Hope you've got good watchdogs they're a thieving lot.
"What's the excitement?" There was no excitement whatever. There was Peppajee, hunched up against the rock in that uncomfortable attitude which permits a man to come at the most intimate relations with the outside of his own ankle, upon which he was scowling in seeming malignity.
If he went higher, he thought, he might get a glimpse of them of her, to tell his thought honestly. Whereupon he forgot all about finding and expostulating with Peppajee, and thought only a point of the ridge which would give him a clear view downstream. To be sure, he might as easily have retraced his steps and joined the group, and seen every changing look in her face.
There must be something in it, he thought, to bring Peppajee from his blankets at midnight and to impel him, unfriendly as he usually seemed, to confide his worry to him at once and without urging. And yet, to steal the Peaceful Hart ranch the idea was ludicrous. Still, there was no harm in looking around a bit.
"Yo' eyes sick," said Peppajee, and grinned sardonically. "Yo' eyes see all time Squaw-with-sun-hair. Fillum yo' eyes, yo' see notting. Yo' catchum squaw, bimeby mebbyso see plenty mo'. Me no catchum sick eye. Mebbyso me see heap plenty." "What you see, you all time watchum Baumberger?"
Peppajee grunted. "What for yo' no stoppum all same Peaceful?" Good Indian scorned a subterfuge, and spoke truly. "That girl, Evadna, no likum me. All time mad me. So I no stoppum ranch, no more." Peppajee grinned briefly and understandingly, and nodded his head. "Me heap sabe. Yo' all time heap like for catchum that girl, be yo' squaw. Bimeby that girl heap likum yo'. Me sabe."
Word Of The Day
Others Looking