“Yoost look at dat, you Vrenchmans. Dat’s mine vrent, Penn. _See_ him shump! Shumps like a vrog, same vat you eats. Ach! Ho, ho, ha! See dat Injun run. Hein? Trouble coom after you soon, Mister Injun. Oh, Shules, how could you pe so pad ash to durn against such a mans ash Penn?”
“Who said I turned against him? It is got up between you and this woman. I’ll ask the old man when he comes in if I am to be insulted by every one and make no return. You old bully, I’ll cut your heart out.”
“You shut oop. I ain’t a vool. Vat you dakes der knife to me vor? Vat vor you dries to make love to der vooman? Vat you vant mit a gun ven I let you co? No, Shules, you pad egg.”
“I’ll let you know, for one, whether I am to be insulted or not. Ben will set it right. He wrongs no man.”
“That is true,” said Millicent. “Be content to let the matter rest. Or stay. They are now coming up the mountain and the Indians will not dare to follow them into the pass. They know that they are desperate men. If I promise to say nothing to them of your conduct, will you promise to refrain from the like in future?”
“Not if I ask him not,” said Millicent, smiling on the German.
“No, py der saints! I nefer says nottings, put I keep oop a good deal of t’inking all de dimes.”
“I must. I can’t afford to have Ben against me.”
“Then it is a bargain. See that you keep your part, Jan,” said Millicent.
“Oh, I keeps my pargains,” said Jan. “Off it’s a pad one, I can nix help it. I makes pad pargains sometimes, ven I can not help him. Let us co down to Penn. I very sorry to keep any t’ing vrom Penn. He goot chap. You no dells der young feller?”
Millicent flushed crimson. The acute German had found out that she loved Bentley Morris.
“Vy? I don’t know. Only ven you pe his vrow, pimepye, pooty soon, den you dells him eferyt’ings. Yaw.”
Jan chuckled hugely at her confusion, and walked behind the rest all the way down the mountain, that he might enjoy a laugh by himself. They came to the level plain just at the point where the pass entered the valley, and there waited for the coming of the others. As they waited, they heard the crack of a rifle in the ravine below, followed by a shout from Ben.
“Run to their aid,” cried Millicent. “Why do you hesitate?”