CHAPTER XIX.
WHERE LADDERS WERE STAIRS.
"It's all right, fellows," said Donald, as he joined his chums; "thechief remembers our foreman at the mine, and is glad to have us here.Fact is, he gave me to understand that he'd look on us as his specialguests during the ceremonies connected with the yearly dance to theLittle Father, as they call the rattlesnake, under the impression thatit was connected with the religion of their forefathers, away backthousands of years."
"Huh!" grunted the unbelieving Billie, "take my word for it now, that'sthe same kind of talk he gives every new batch of strangers that showsup here. You see, I'm something of a reader of character, though I'venever let on to you two fellows about it before; and if ever I saw ashrewd look on the face of a human being it was written large on hisphiz."
Adrian chuckled.
Possibly that was his own private opinion, for he believed that theannual gathering of numerous whites, deeply interested in the religiousceremonies, and dance of the Zunis, had by degrees come to make itsomewhat of a commercial affair. They found so many chances to "bleed"the good-natured travelers that the spirit was now rife in thecommunity, just as you find it in every gypsy camp.
After that they wandered around for quite some time, "visiting," Billiecalled it. They talked with the natives, finding that the vast majoritycould not only understand English, but speak it fairly well in thebargain.
Donald led his comrades up a crazy ladder to the lower strata of rockhouses, as the holes in the face of the high cliff were called.
They found that they were singularly lacking in what white boys wereaccustomed to look upon as actual necessities in their homes. Thesleeping places, instead of being comfortable beds, consisted for themost part of some skins thrown down in a corner.
"But then," ruminated Billie, who was given to speculating on occasion,"I reckon now that an up-to-date brass bed would kinder look queer andout of place in this antique hole in the wall. The beds and otherfurniture are about in keeping with the people and the habitation, ain'tthat so Adrian?"
"Well," observed the one addressed, "what else would you expect to findin a living place that had been used for hundreds and hundreds of yearsby these people, and those who went before them? But you admit that it'sall mighty interesting, don't you, Billie?"
"That's what it is, Adrian," heartily replied the other, "and from theway these other visitors are prowling around every-which-way, seems tome they think just the same as we do. Several look like cowboys; youdon't happen to know any of the same, I suppose, Donald?"
"No," Donald answered, after taking a good survey of the parties inquestion; "never ran across them before; but that isn't queer, when youcome to think how many ranches there are in this Southwest country; andhow seldom punchers go outside of the limits of their own range."
"Then there's a bunch of real tourists," continued Billie; "father,mother and two half-grown children, people of means, they must be, forthey look like it; and they've got three guides along with 'em too, so'snot to get lost on the desert, like some sillies have a habit of doing.Chances are these Zunis will get considerable graft from thatfree-and-easy crowd."
"Among the balance of the strangers in town there's one man I've beenwatching, and he somehow gives me a bad feeling," remarked Adrian.
"P'raps, now, I might pick him out, and then not half try," addedDonald; "just because I felt the same way about him. See here, Ad, is hethat tall, domineering man, with the inky-black mustache, who looksabout like the frisky gambler you see in the moving pictures of thisWestern country?"
"Hit it the first guess, Donald; but I took the trouble to ask a fewquestions about him from that smart looking young brave you saw metalking with a bit ago; and it seems that his name is Mark Braddon; andhe's some sort of showman."
"Oh! you mean a circus proprietor, out here in the Wild and Woolly Westto pick up novel attractions for his outfit in the East, is that it?"demanded Donald, quickly.
"That's what he claims; and the youngster told me Braddon was trying toinduce the chief to take a big party of braves, squaws and papooses, andgo with him to exhibit this same rattlesnake dance in his circus. Saysit would be the biggest card ever put before the public, and insure himcrowded houses all through the winter in Chicago."
Donald looked grave.
"I don't like his ways, that's all I can say," he remarked, stillwatching the important looking man in question, who was not far away atthe time, showing the family of tourists the largest cliff dwelling,with an air of proprietorship; as though he already felt that he hadacquired an interest in the whole village by reason of the fact that hewas daily and hourly increasing his offer of big pay, until the chief_must_ give in, and accept a contract.
"And from what you told me about these people," Adrian went on to say,gravely, "it seems to me they never could give that strange dance dayafter day, and have it still hold its solemn, religious character."
"Never!" declared Donald, who knew so much about these Indians of therock dwellings; "it can be danced only once a year, at a most particularseason. Everything has to be just so, the moon at a certain age, and allsorts of other conditions are to be suitable, or it loses itssignificance. But then money is a strong factor nowadays, and if thattempter only made his offer _big_ enough, he might get the old chief toconsent."
"That would be bad enough in itself," remarked Adrian; "but between youand me, Donald, I've got a big suspicion that this circus man issomething of a fake."
"You mean that he would have some other scheme up his sleeve, in tryingto tempt the chief to start out with him, taking the best part of thetribe along, is that your idea, Adrian?" asked the other, earnestly; ashe again cast his gaze toward the big man with the deep, loud voice, andblustering ways, whose manner had seemingly struck them both aspeculiarly offensive.
Adrian simply nodded.
He saw Billie listening with open mouth, and eyes that were distended,as though the information regarding these suspicions on the part of hischums was thrilling him through and through; and Adrian did not think itwholly advisable to get the fat boy started in the question line,because he would never stop quizzing them.
As Donald caught his meaning, he gave him a wink and a nod, after whichhe dropped all mention of the dark-haired man with the loud voice, andthe bold stare.
When they became tired of climbing ladders, and investigating the quainthomes of the Zuni people, the three chums went back to where they haderected their tent, and had their animals staked out so they couldsecure their fill of grass.
Billie, of course was hungry; it was very seldom he could be found anyother way these days; and so they thought it might be wise to start afire, and cook something in the line of food.
Some of the Zuni boys gathered around to watch their operations, but asDonald had said, these people were strictly honest, the chums had nofear of their tent being entered during their absence, and anythingstolen.
While dinner was being prepared Adrian noticed that Billie was unusuallyquiet and thoughtful, for him. He wondered what ailed the stout chum.Once he thought that what he and Donald had said concerning the big manwith the loud voice and overbearing ways had affected Billie; and he wasbusying his brain in trying to figure out what sort of game the circusman could be engaged in carrying out.
Desiring to ease his mind on this score, and let him feel that after alltheir suspicions might not amount to anything, as the other was possiblyjust what he claimed to be, the proprietor of a Wild West Show, on thekeen lookout for new and taking novelties to offer the public, Adrianpresently introduced the matter to his companion.
"What makes you so sober, Billie; not feeling sick, I hope?" heremarked, while Donald was doing something over where the horses weretethered, and the pair of them found themselves temporarily deserted bythe Zuni youths.
"What, me?" exclaimed the other, starting, and looking quickly up at thespeaker; "oh, not at all, Adrian; far from it, because I never felt inbetter shape, only I'll be stronger aft
er we've had our grub, ofcourse."
"But something's worrying you, Billie!" persisted the other.
"Oh! well, I wouldn't be happy, Ad, you know, unless I was badgerin'this old think-box of mine over something or other," answered the fatchum, with a nervous laugh.
"And what is it now?" asked Adrian, fully expecting to hear him say thathe was unable to get the conversation he had heard between themconcerning Mark Braddon, out of his mind, to his surprise it turned outto be a very different affair entirely.
"Why," said Billie, soberly, with three lines across his broad forehead,such as always appeared there when he found himself up against a hardproposition, "you see, Adrian, I just can't get it through my mind whohe can be at all. Bothers me right along now, and the more I pound myhead the worse it gets."
"But suppose you decide that he's just what he claims, and let it go atthat," suggested the other.
Billie's lower jaw fell, and he turned to stare at the speaker.
"Say, now, who d'ye suppose I'm talking about?" he demanded.
"Why, that man Braddon, of course," replied Adrian.
Then Billie laughed merrily.
"Why, bless your innocent heart, Ad," he said, in his jolly way, "Iwasn't bothering my head the least bit about that gruff-voiced fellow.What's been on my nerves is the mystery we're up against."
"Mystery!" echoed Adrian, in a puzzled way; and then, as a lightsuddenly broke in upon him he went on to say hastily; "oh! I see nowwhat you mean, Billie; you're still badgering your poor brain about theunknown who shot the thieving young Apache buck when he was trying torob us; and who you think must be the same party who put that warning inthe split stick at the poisoned spring?"
"That's what, Adrian!" declared the other, with a big sigh; "and it'skeeping me awake nights wondering just who our unknown friend can be."