CHAPTER XX.
BILLIE AND THE SHOWMAN.
It was some time after the Broncho Rider Boys had finished their dinnerthat Adrian, while wandering around the village, chanced to come uponthe old chief again.
As the other beckoned to him, and started a conversation, Adrian foundhimself irresistibly impelled presently to tell the chief what hethought about such a scheme as the one he had heard the circus manpropose.
Adrian was something of a good talker; indeed, he some day expected tostudy to be a lawyer on this very account. And as the chief seemed gladof a chance to get some other person's opinion concerning the honesty ofBraddon, and the likelihood of his keeping a contract to the letter, heasked many questions.
But of course Adrian was too wise a boy to state boldly that he believedthe other to be a fakir, when he had no evidence along that line, savehis own conviction backed by that of his chum, Donald; and they weresupposed to be only a pair of boys, hardly capable of forming judgmenton another.
He confined the line of his argument upon other grounds, and succeededin making the old chief very uncomfortable by his questions concerningthe religious nature of the famous snake dance, and whether it would notbe next door to sacrilege to perform it daily, just to amuse thousandsof careless white people, for the mere sake of gain.
In other words, Adrian was hinting that possibly the Great Spirit mighttake it as an insult to have this same ceremonial dance made a commonbyword among the palefaces, and visit some terrible judgment upon theheads of those who were concerned.
He even asked what the medicine man thought about the scheme, and wasnot surprised to learn that the Wizard Doctor violently opposed anythingof the sort; and it was his opposition that had caused the arrangementsto hang fire so far.
The chief seemed very friendly, and Adrian believed that he hadsucceeded in influencing him to go slow about making such a radicalchange, without in any way reflecting upon the honor of the circusproprietor.
As he turned away after this long and earnest talk with the old Zunichief he felt impelled to look to one side, as though some influenceforced him to turn his eyes that way. And just as he half expected, hediscovered that Braddon had been intently observing him, possibly muchof the time he and the old chief held their heart-to-heart talk.
There was a dark scowl on the strong face of the big man. He smiled in aqueer way, as he saw Adrian looking toward him; and somehow theexpression on his face seemed anything but agreeable.
The boy half expected that Braddon would stalk toward him, and demand toknow what he and the old Zuni leader had been talking about soearnestly; he was bracing himself to decline to answer, when he saw theother whirl around, and hurry after the chief, evidently meaning to getthat information at first hands.
"I reckon that might spell trouble for me," mused Adrian, as he walkedon; and having somewhat tired of observing the strange sights of thevillage by now, or perhaps feeling that the company of his chums wouldbe more agreeable, he headed toward the tent where Billie lay taking anap in the shade, and Donald was busily engaged writing up some incidentin his daily log.
Half an hour afterwards who should turn up there but Mark Braddon. WhenAdrian saw the big, dark-faced circus man approaching, with a set lookon his countenance, he knew that there was going to be an explosion.
And he was not far wrong, either.
Donald stopped his writing, and jumping to his feet, hurried to the sideof his chum, recognizing the signs of a storm when he saw them.
"See here, youngsters," said the man, in his big bass voice, while hetried to look as fierce as possible, under the impression that in thisway he might send a spasm of fear and dismay to the hearts of the boyswhom he addressed, "it'd be a mighty good thing for you to stop pokingyour noses into my business, and look after your own affairs. Get thet,don't you? Well, unless you want to find yourselves hurt rather sudden,just keep hands off, and allow me to run my own circus."
He even shook his finger threateningly at them; and somehow the actionangered Donald, who was quicker to flare up than Adrian. Billie wassitting up by now, and listening, with widely distended eyes, and openmouth.
"Oh!" said Donald, "I reckon, now, you're doing all that talking aboutmy chum advising the old chief that his medicine man was right in sayingthey would risk the ill will of the Manitou of the Zunis, if they tooktheir sacred dance away from the spot where it has been done year afteryear for centuries, and made it the laughing stock of a rude crowd ofwhite people at a circus. Well, the chief asked his opinion, and he hada right to give it, as any other person might."
"Yes," added Adrian just then, "of course it doesn't matter a red centto any of us whether the chief takes up your offer or not; but I've gotmy opinion about whether he'd be a fool to try it, and so I told him. Idon't know you, Mr. Braddon, and I'm not saying that you wouldn't dealhonestly with these simple people; but I do know that they would neverbe the same again after they came back. That was what I asked him; andI'd do just the same again if any of the other Indians wanted to know myopinion."
The big man looked at the speaker in surprise. He had doubtless countedon being easily able to cow these young fellows, who were only boys atbest, while he had a fierce look, and in his own mind at least aresistless way of domineering.
"I give you fair warning right here and now," he went on to say,furiously, "that unless you keep your hands off my personal businessyou're going to think you've run up against a buzz-saw. I ain't in thehabit of knuckling down to a set of kids, when I plan a big thing for myshow; and I won't stand for it, hear that? Why, I've got a good notionto give you a lesson right here and now."
He had assumed an attitude that looked dangerous, as though his passionshad run away with his judgment; and Adrian was sorry that neither he norDonald chanced to have anything along just at that critical moment inthe way of firearms, with which to make things seem more even.
"Oh! I wouldn't do that, mister, if I was you," drawled a voice justthen.
Of course it was Billie, and as all of them glanced toward the spotwhere he was squatted, they saw him handling his pet Marlin repeater.
Somehow the sight of that gun seemed to make the fierce showman changehis mind. He shrugged his broad shoulders, and allowed a cynical smileto cross his face.
"Never mind raising that weapon, son," he called out; "on second thoughtI guess I'd have been a fool to lay a hand on any of you. But just keepmy warning in mind, and leave my plans for amusing the public alone,will you? I give you my word you'll be sorry if you bother me any more."
He wheeled, and hurried away. Billie chuckled a little, as thoughamused, and as the showman turned and shot a vindictive glance backtoward him it was evident he must have heard the sound, and also that itrankled in his soul.
The three boys soon had their heads together, and of course this timethe subject of their talk was the man who had made such a fool ofhimself as to threaten Adrian, because he had spoken his mind when theold chief asked his opinion.
"He's a sure enough bad egg," Billie affirmed, and neither of the othersseemed inclined to differ with him on that score, at least.
"I saw him talking to two different men awhile back," remarked Donald."It was after you and the chief had been having that nice little confab,Adrian; and from the way he pointed over this way several times, I gotthe idea in my head he was telling them about what he'd seen you doing."
"In that case then, you would know who two of his crowd might be?"suggested the other chum, quickly.
"That's right, I do; and let me tell you both while I'm about it;because, if it seems we're just bound to have a rumpus with Braddon andhis set, the sooner we spot the whole outfit the better."
"Go ahead then, Donald," urged Adrian.
"First, there was that little sawed-off we were watching awhile back; heseems to be a lively specimen, even if he is so short; and I don't fancythe cut of his jib any more'n I do that of Mr. Braddon, the showman."
"Call him Shorty, then, since we don't kno
w his real name," remarkedBillie.
"The other was that young fellow who is dressed in the loud check suit,and who might be a son of the showman, for all anybody could say to thecontrary. Seems to me they do look a bit alike, eh, Ad?"
"All right, let's take that for granted, and call him Mark Braddon Jr.,"Billie went on to say, before Adrian could give his opinion; for itseemed as if the fat chum was feeling rather lively since he hadsurprised his comrades by his prompt holding up of the furious showmanwhen he was threatening violence toward Adrian.
"Then we know three of the crowd," Donald went on. "There may be othersstill, and we'd better keep our eyes open to pick the same out, fromtime to time."
"You talk as if you thought we'd sure have trouble with the bunch yet,"remarked Adrian.
"Oh! you never can tell; but the signs all point that way right now,"Donald went on to say; "and you know, we've been brought up to keep onour guard all the time. They might take a silly notion to try and run usout of here."
"Say, I hope not before that old dance comes off!" cried Billie,"because I've got my heart set on taking some fine snapshots of thesame, and it'd grieve me a heap to have to toddle out of here beforethen."
"Make your mind easy, Billie," said Donald, with a firm closing of hisjaws together, and a gleam in his eyes that proclaimed the spirit of theprairie boy, "we don't leave this same village until we're good andready, no matter what Mr. Mark Braddon and his crowd think, or want usto do. And if it came to a fight, I've got an idea those several cowboysfrom the ranches would flock to our side, once I told 'em who I was, andthat my dad owns the good old Keystone Ranch."
Adrian looked up at that, with a smile on his face.
"Now that isn't half a bad idea, Donald," he remarked, hastily; "and ifI was you I'd just stroll out, and make the acquaintance of some ofthose same punchers. There are three of them, and they seem to be ajolly lot. Not much danger that they're in touch with Braddon in hisgame, whatever it may be."
"I'll do it, right away," announced Donald, as he went into the tent tostrap on his belt with its dangling six-shooter, without which no cowboywould care to be seen abroad; and waving his hand to his chums, hesauntered off on his mission.