The Go Ahead Boys and Simon's Mine Part 8

"You would have thought they had poetry in them," said Zeke, "if you ever happened to be out here when there was a Navajo or Apache uprising. I tell you the air is full of poetry then, the same as it is full of rows and yells and shouts, and you can see the redskins full of poetry,--some people out here call the stuff they drink by another name,--ridin' like mad 'round the desert shooting every man, woman and child they can find.

Oh, yes," he added, "it's a whole lot o' poetry."

The hour, however, had arrived when the Go Ahead Boys were ready to retire for the night. Fred was the first to set an example but in a brief time the other Go Ahead Boys had followed, the fire had been extinguished and silence rested over the region.

CHAPTER VII

TWO NAVAJOS

Early the following morning, while the boys were preparing breakfast, they were startled by the approach of two men.

"Look yonder!" exclaimed Fred, who naturally was the first to discover the approach of the strangers. "Are those the two men that were in the camp the other day?"

"No," replied Zeke quickly after he had gazed long and earnestly at the men who could be seen coming down the pathway from the top of the cliff.

"They're Indians."

"Is that so?" demanded George who was instantly excited. "What are they?"

"Navajoes," replied Zeke after another inspection.

"What do you suppose they want?" asked Grant.

"Everything you have got and some things besides," answered Zeke, his affection for the redmen being not very strong. "The first thing they'll ask us for will be the breakfast."

"We'll give them some breakfast," said Fred promptly.

"I didn't say nothin' about _some_ breakfast," spoke up Zeke. "I said the breakfast. They'll want it all and some besides."

"Then the only thing for us to do," laughed Fred, "is to begin right away."

Fred's example was speedily followed by his friends, who quickly took pieces of the sputtering bacon on sharpened sticks which they held in their right hands while with their left they grasped pieces of the cooked cereal which Zeke had been frying for breakfast.

All were busily engaged in this pleasing occupation when the two Indians approached the camp. The redmen were the first to speak and to the surprise of the Go Ahead Boys they addressed them in excellent English, at least the one who appeared to be the leader was able to express himself clearly and in correct form.

"We would like some breakfast," said the spokesman, who was a young Indian perhaps twenty-one years of age.

"All right, sir," spoke up Fred before any one else could respond to the request. "We'll fix you some in a minute."

Fortunately the supply was ample for the present meal at least, and both Navajos, seating themselves upon a projecting rock, almost devoured the food which was given them.

The Go Ahead Boys were eager to talk with the redmen, but silence rested over the camp. Zeke was particularly gruff in his manner and apparently ignored the presence of the strangers.

At last the Indian who had been chief spokesman said, "We have come to ask if two white men have come to your camp within a few days."

"What do you want to know for?" asked Zeke quickly.

Whatever his reasons may have been for inquiring the Navajo did not offer any explanations.

"Yes, there were two men here but they have gone," said Zeke slowly.

"Did one of them have a scar across his cheek that reached almost from his nose to his ear?"

"Yes."

"Was the other man larger and heavier?"

"That's right," said Fred, aware that both his companions were as deeply interested as he in the conversation.

"Where did they go?"

"We do not know," spoke up Zeke. "We didn't invite them to come here and they didn't stop to say good-by when they left."

"Do you know their names?"

"I can't say that we do," replied Zeke. "Was there anything special that you wanted o' them?"

The Navajo glanced quickly at his companion, who plainly understood the question and then said, "Yes, we want very much to see them."

"Well, I'm afraid then that you'll have to go where they are."

"Did they go down the river or did they go up the cliffs?"

"The last we saw of them they were headed for the sky," said Zeke glumly.

"Did they have ponies?"

"We didn't see any. They may have left them up yonder, but they didn't bring any into the camp."

The Navajo again turned to his companion and carried on a conversation in a low voice, apparently ignoring the presence of the others.

"If there was any message you wanted left," suggested Zeke, "we might take it and tell them that two Navajoes are waiting for them."

"No," replied the Indian abruptly. "Say nothing. Do you know whether they are coming back to your camp or not?"

"I hope not," said Zeke.

"Have you any reason to think they were bad men?"

"I don't know nothin' about them, just as I told you," responded Zeke gruffly. "As I said, the only way you can find that out is to go where they are."

"And do you know whether they started toward Thorn's Gulch?"

"Where?" demanded Fred quickly.

"Thorn's Gulch."