INJUN TACKLES CIVILIZATION
The happenings at the Cross and Circle ranch had served to knit closer
those bonds which held the white boy and the Indian together. Already
fast friends, the trials and dangers that they had been through still
further cemented the tie into something more than friendship. Injun
received his full share of credit in the affair, for it had been
through his wonderful sagacity and his remarkable powers of observation
that the various discoveries had been made that led to the tracing of
the cattle, the cleaning out of the gang, and the recovery of much
valuable property. In fact, it was finally revealed, after a long
investigation, that the former owner, Bradley, had been murdered by
Ross, or Yancy, and that deeds and other papers conveying the property
had been forged, and thus the rustler had come into possession of a
valuable property--far too valuable to have jeopardized it by the
nefarious practices in which he engaged. And when the property was
finally restored to the rightful heirs, each of the boys was remembered
in a substantial way by the Bradley heirs, as will be seen later.
Whitey, too, was not forgotten when it came to apportioning the credit
for the clean-up. He, it must be remembered, had first undertaken
the investigation on his own hook; he had crawled out of the hay and
offered himself for capture that Injun might escape--a thing which
required very much more than ordinary nerve and unselfishness. And it
was largely on account of his aggressive action that the capture of the
band was effected without any bloodshed, except that which flowed from
"One-Card" Tucker's arm, and the bruises which Whitey inflicted on the
various members of the Ross gang.
When the whole story was fully known, it is almost needless to say
that the two boys were heroes with the men of the Bar O and the other
nearby ranches; but they bore their honors modestly, and each made
little of the part that he, himself, had played in the affair, and gave
credit to the other for having enacted the principal rôle.
The one "fly in the ointment" was the escape of Pedro. Not only did
this continue a very grave menace to Injun, for Pedro had sworn to get
even with the boy, but it was a keen disappointment to Bill Jordan, who
regarded Pedro in about the same light as a mad dog, only the man was
far more dangerous and resourceful than any dog could possibly be.
And now, in view of the part that Whitey had played in the wiping out
of the gang, both Mr. Sherwood and Bill Jordan felt that the white boy,
also, would be added to Pedro's list of those upon whom he proposed
to visit his revenge. Pedro was known to be a most persistent and
consistent hater, and he had been known to cherish a trifling grievance
for years, and to go a long distance out of his way to avenge some
trivial injury, real or fancied.
The entire outfit at the Bar O were, therefore, given strict orders
to keep a sharp eye out for the gentleman, and to "get" him on sight,
taking no chances whatever on his escape. There was a general feeling
that he would not leave the neighborhood until he had, in a measure,
repaid those who had been instrumental in balking his schemes, even
if it took a long time to do it; and Bill took the boys aside and
impressed this upon them.
Altogether, it was a jolly party that rode into the ranch-yard a few
hours before daylight. As they neared the ranch, Injun, according to
his custom, had started to leave the party and go to his own haunts;
but Whitey, backed up by his father and Bill, put a veto on this, and
so it was finally decided that Injun should spend the night with Whitey
at the Bar O ranch.
Injun faced the proposition with some misgivings; he was not accustomed
to the usages of civilization, being even more wild than the members
of his own tribe. He preferred the wilderness and the mountains even
to the primitive arrangements and comforts of the Indian village, and
his initiation into anything so civilized as a modern ranch-house was a
wide departure.
When he was ushered into Whitey's room, after a plentiful
"breakfast"--both the boys were nearly famished, having had nothing to
eat since noon of the day previous--he looked around in positive awe.
The room did not exactly resemble a society belle's boudoir, but there
were many things in it that meant nothing in Injun's young life.
He was introduced to himself, probably for the first time, by means
of a large mirror that surmounted the dresser, and he was greatly
surprised and pleased when Whitey showed him that, by tilting it,
he could get a full-view of himself as well as a "close-up." It
is doubtful if he would have gone to bed at all if Whitey had not
insisted, but would have spent the rest of the night seeing himself as
others saw him.
The hair brush was also new to Injun; and after he had been instructed
in its use, he spent considerable time arranging his long hair in
various ways before the glass. Whitey watched him with a broad grin:
"Why don't you do it up in blue ribbons?" he asked, laughing. Injun
rejected this suggestion with a grunt and a shake of his head. "Ugh!
Red!" he said. He didn't object to the ribbons, but the color! (An
Indian likes any color--as long as it's red!)
It took him a long time to decide to take off his clothes, and he
balked at the clean, white pyjamas that Whitey offered him. Nothing
doing! Fortunately Whitey had a pair of vivid pink pyjamas; and
these Injun could not resist. He arrayed himself in them with some
difficulty, and surveyed himself in the glass until Whitey threatened
to put out the light. And when it came to getting into the bed, he was
most dubious. He would have much preferred to lay himself on the floor
near the open window and _be comfortable_!
After much persuasion, however, he consigned himself, with much
misgiving, to the soft bed. Injun was accustomed to selecting a spot
protected from the winds, first making a fire, if occasion demanded,
and then stretching out on the ground or some pine boughs that he
collected if they were available.
He could adjust himself to the most cramped and uncomfortable positions
and get the repose he needed, even "keeping one eye open," as the
saying is, against the dangers that might beset him in the night.
However, notwithstanding all the "discomforts" of the civilization
that surrounded him, Injun was asleep inside of five minutes, though
Whitey lay awake for a long time, the exciting events of the past
twenty-four hours running through his mind in vivid review; until, at
last everything became a jumble of caverns and Crowleys and Rosses
and cattle and scrimmages, all crazy and indistinct, fantastic and
illusory, as things always are in the borderland of dreams.