The Cooperstown courier. (Cooperstown, Griggs Co., N.D.) 1902-1913, 1904-01-28
"Yes. You stay. eat dinner with US. !"

Il
villainous cigars. bought from q ped
dler and kept for the delectation OF
such guests.
Come out on the porch, Peppajee.
Wo smoke"
;Peppajee rose, gave his blanket q
hitch, and followed his host.
| "Where ladder? Where boys?" he
asked, politely, as they seated them
selves.
"They went for horses. They come
back soon."
Peppajee smoked in luxurious silence
for time, then began, suddenly: me
got heap wano pony. Me trade him
yo'. Him wano-heap wano. Him go
fas'-lak dat" He drew hand rapid
ly through the air. Him no buck, him
no keeck, him go all places same.
Mebbyso rocks-lava bed-him go
s-l-o-w-him no fall. Mebbyso wano
road, him go, go, all same deer. Meb-
byso heap dark-no moon, no star
him no los, him go all time home.
Mebbyso ride all day, no stop for eat,
for drink, him go all time fas'. Heap
wano pony. Yo' trader" - e.
Will applied match to his newly
rolled cigarette and puffed vigorously.
He knew something of the way Of the
red man: he is full of guile as when
he rode rampant the plains. seeking
whom he might devour-that Is to say,
scalp.
What for you trade wano pony?
he demanded, suspiciously. what for
you no keep him."
Peppajee shifted his position I'M
easily; his eyes narrowed. "vinie,
she ride all the time. Vinie heap lazy.
/ lick. She no care. she ride all time
same. vinie no stay wickiup-no cook
no make moccasin for sell. Mebbyso
me keel deer, me come home, Vinie
gone. Me hat skin deer-haf cook.
Ninie come back bimeby, me lick. No
good. She go mex day all same" He
paused, dramatically, then continued.
me trade pony. Me git noder pony,
mebbyso me make buck little. Vinie
she see, she no ride-Vinie heap 'fraid.
No walk-heap lazy. Wine stay home,
cook deer, make moccasins for sell
me no lick. Wano." r..
The explanation was logical and con-
vincing. Will, more trustful then thar,
he is at present, smothered any lin
gefing doubt, and inclined his ear to
Peppajee's specious reasoning. ~
Cali right. We eat; then go look
at pony. Mebbyso trade"
The eyes of the Indian sparkled.
''Yo' got wano pony-mebbyso make
buck little?" r.
Will nodded. "You saw him out In
the corral. Little black pony, wano.
You spur him, he buck. You ride him
to wickiup, you spur him-heap scare
Vinie.'
I Peppajee looked down at his mecca
sins. "Huh. Me no got spur"
ooh, well, there's an old pair in
the blacksmith shop I'll give you, .
said Will. firing of the lingo" Pep
pajee grinned; evidently the prospect
pleased him. Still, he chung to his In
dian caution.
"Me go look; mebbyso me trade.
Mebbyso me want ten dollah, So" He
raised both hands, the fingers and
thumbs extended, and the negotiations
were postponed until after dinner.
"Mebbyso, me ride yo' pony. Wano.
Mebbyso me trade.'
Gall right" said Will, and led the
|, fiery little black from the corral, and
held him while Peppajee transferred
his saddle. The horse was beautiful
creature to look upon, but lacked
stamina for hard gallop over the
rough, surrounding country, so Win
considered the trade all in his favor.
Peppajee's pony was plump little
pinto, kind-eyed, sure-footed, and
sound.
The black threw back his head and
eyed his prospective owner askance.
Some horses seem to possess a consti-
tutional aversion to our red brethren.
and Mohawk was one of these. Peppa-
jee hesitated, one moccasined foot in
the stirrup.
"Him no buck heap?" he queried, ap-
prehensively. The belligerent, back
ward glance of Mohawk filled his In
dian soul with misgiving. Peppajee
was victim of civilization. He had
allowed most of his accomplishments
to grow rusty from disuse while he
tarried long at wine-or, to be explicit,
cheap whisky. He no longer rode a la
Centaur. I doubt If he could even
properly scalp an enemy; am inclined
| to think he would have botched the
job disgracefully. Will hastened to
reassure him.
HE never bucks with me, unless
spur him." he said. II don't know -
he added conservatively. 'how he'll
act with you. He never had an Injun
on top Of him. He don't seem to take
to the idea"
Huh" grunted Peppajee, stung by
the distasteful epithet. He mounted.
and settled himself and his blanket
firmly in the saddle. "Yo' let go him
head. Mebbyso, Injun ride TO- yo'
bawn!"
Ned and Dick, who were watching
the trade, sprang upon their horses,
expectantly. Will turned loose the
black and swung into the saddle. 1--WE