Browning chief. [volume] (Browning, Mont.) 1941-1953, 1944-04-21
w.N.U. RELEASE

| Lew said. He felt Clay move on MS
heels beside him and started to look
around when the old warriors next
words stopped the turn of his head.
II know. You are a Texas man.
You can fight. But your friend,
Long Rifle, asks you to listen when
I say the Cheyennes have whisky.
Many are drunk"
With his head turned a little he
saw Clay's fixed interest in some.
thing on the ground, and then Spot
ted Horse was saying, 1.-TWO white
men came with four horses loaded.
They gave whisky to the Cheyennes
and put this talk of beef in their
ears"
Lew brought his eyes all the way
around to Clay then. But if there
had been any foreknowledge of this
in him it didn't show on the un-
changing ruddy cheeks. So there it
was. A neat trick now that he saw
it clearly-fire the Cheyennes up on
liquor, send them against the Cross
T herd. If they got their bellies
full of Cross T beef they'd let the
! Open A pass without trouble. But
drunk You might as well
touch fire to the prairie grass. No
man could tell where it would stop.
Quietly Spotted Horse said, "My
people want peace This is our coun-
try. We live here and will not go
with the Cheyennes against you. But
If there is fighting and the army
comes we will be blamed with the
others. They will not give us beef
for many months and make us live
on flour and water. Our women
and children will go hungry. That
is why l talk"
1t was an earnest plea, yet given
in the old Comanche's low, unplead-
| ing tone. Lew felt it strongly and
hesitated and saw no other way.
1.-THE answer" he said, sis still
the same. This is not Cheyenne
beef till it reaches Ogallala."
Lew" Clay touched his arm.
'"This is bad. I say you'd better
give in something"
He shook his head mo use. You
can't bargain with drunk Indians"
mo hurt to try" Clay's voice
came with sharper edge. "You
better" His blue eyes were still
fixed upon the ground. 1--WE got
more than COWS to think about. You
60 ahead and make a deal!"
CLAY he warned, watch out"
For he saw Crazy Bears quick at
tention to this talk. 1t was too plain
a show of trouble in the white mans
camp and bad to be known. To
Spotted Horse he said, "Tell Crazy
Bear we have refused. What does
he say them"
The old chief signed rapidly and
spoke in a clacking tongue. The
young bucks naughty face showed
no change. He grunted, opened and
closed his hands many times,
dropped them and sat stiff1y, look
ing off toward the camp.
Spotted Horse said nothing. He
shut his eyes.
Clay moved, suddenly irritable.
"Well?" he asked.
The old eyes opened and looked
at him. Spotted Horse took his
time before he said, six hundred
cows. One for each Cheyenne"
"All right" Clay agreed. Lew,
there's your DEAL"
"Clay," he said, "you show you've
never handled Indians. That six hun
dred is only an opening wedge. Lis
ten. Spotted Horse, your heart is
white. There is no lie in it. If we
give this much to the Cheyennes
can you say they'll not take all we've
got? We have horses, wagons. II
we give six hundred cows we are
weak in their eyes. Can you say
they'll not come back for more?"
Gravely the old man said, "They
are not my people. 1 canot tell
them what to do"
"Satisfed?" Lew asked and got
no answer. He turned from Clay
and looked past Spotted Horse. his
glance held suddenly by a fixed at
tention in Crazy Bears jet eyes. He
followed that look back toward
camp.
Joy had come from her wagon
to stand with the group of men at
the fire. Its light showed Crazy Bear
all that she was.
Spotted Horse had seen her now.
His head lifted. you have wom-
en?"
"One," Lew said. "She has her
man along" A hopeless anger filled
him. Trust woman's curiosity to
do that! He nodded sidewise and
saw the old Comanche give Clay a
measuring look.
"She is young" said Spotted
Horse. THAT is not good"
Crazy Bear stood up. He made
sign and walked back to the mount
ed group. For a moment longer
Spotted Horse sat with his head
bowed again. Then he too rose. He
held out his right hand, palm up.
Rising, Lew touched it lightly with
his own. Spotted Horse" he said,
"your name is. written on this land
in great letters. You have come to
warn me and am glad. But the
white man and the red man never
could talk with words. Tell my
friend. Long Rifle I am not asleep''