did you see Oluski last?” abruptly asked Elias.
“It war a fortnight ago, governor, near as my memory sarves me; just arter I’d shot the fattest buck killed this season. Oluski’s people war all in a state o’ excitement at the time.”
“Indeed; about what?”
“Wal, Oluski’s brother, who war chief o’ another tribe, died not long ’fore, and his son, Wacora, had succeeded to the chiefship. Oluski was mighty perlite to his nephy, who war on a visit to Oluski’s town when I war thar. I expect they’ll all be hyar soon. It’s about thar time o’ comin’ to Tampa.”
“Did you see this Wacora, as you call him?”
“I did so, governor,” answered Carrol, “and a likely Injun he is.”
Elias sat for some moments silent, during which time Cris busied himself over his gun.
After a time he put the question—
“Is that all you ha’ to say, governor?”
The governor, as Carrol styled him, started at this abrupt interrogatory.
“No, Carrol, that is not all. What I have to say is this. You are a friend to the red-skins?”
“Yes, siree, so long as they behaves themselves, I am,” promptly replied Cris.
“I also am their friend,” said Rody, “and want to deal fairly by them. They have, however, a foolish sort of pride that makes it difficult, especially in some matters. You know what I mean, do you not?”
“Yes, I see,” rejoined the hunter, in a careless drawl.
“Well, in a bit of business I have with Oluski, I thought a friend might manage with him better than I could myself.”
The governor paused to give Carrol an opportunity of replying.
The backwoodsman, however, did not avail himself of it.
“So you see, Carrol,” continued Elias, “I thought that you might act the part of that friend in the negotiation I allude to.”
“No, I don’t quite see that,” said Cris, looking up with an odd smile upon his face, and a twinkle in his eye. “But come, governor, tell me what you want done, and I’ll tell you whether I kin do it.”
“Well, then, Carrol, I will.”
The governor drew his stool nearer to Cris, as if about to impart some confidential secret.
Chapter Five.
Plain Speech.
The backwoodsman preserved a wary look, as if suspicious of an attempt to corrupt him.
He was not alarmed. Cris Carrol knew himself to be incorruptible.
“Well, Mr Carrol,” proceeded the governor, after a pause; “you know that my settlement has prospered, and, as you may imagine, I have made money along with the rest?”
“Yes, I know that,” was the curt answer.
“And, having now got a little ahead of the world, I feel that I have a right to indulge some of my fancies. I want a better house, for instance.”
“Do you, now?” said Cris.
“And so I’ve made up my mind to build; and I want a good site. Now you see what I am driving at.”
“Well, no; I can’t say that I do exactly.”
“Why, Cris, you are dull to-day. I say I want a good site for my new house.”
“Well, ain’t you got hundreds of acres—enough and to spare for the most tremenjous big house as was ever built?”
“That’s true; but on all my land there’s not a spot I really like. Does that seem strange to you?”
“Mighty strange to me, but, perhaps, not so strange to you, governor.”
“But there is a bit of ground, Cris,” continued Elias, “that I do like exceedingly. The worst of it is it’s not mine.”
“Why don’t you buy it?”
“Just what I wish to do; but the owner won’t sell.”
“Perhaps you don’t offer enough.”
“No; that’s not the reason.”
“What is it, then?”
“Do you know the top of the hill?” abruptly asked Rody.
“What, where the Injuns make their camp?”
“Yes; that’s the place where I want to build. Oluski won’t sell that piece of property to me. Why, I don’t know.”
The governor did not stick very closely to the truth while talking on matters of business.
“Wal, what I have I to do with that?” asked the backwoodsman.
“Why, I thought if you were to see Oluski, perhaps you might talk him into letting me have the ground. I’ve set my mind on it; and I wouldn’t care if it cost me a good round sum. I’ll pay you well for any trouble you may take in helping me.”
Elias Rody had but one estimation of his fellow man, and that was, that every one has his price.
In the present instance he was mistaken.
“It won’t do, governor; it won’t do,” said Carrol, shaking his head. “I see now, plain as can be, what you’re after; but I won’t help you in it. If you wants the property, and Oluski won’t let you have it, then the Injun’s got his own reasons, and it ain’t for me to try and change ’em. Besides,” added he, “I don’t like the job; so no offence meant, but I must say now—and I says it once and for all. Is that all you’ve got to say to me?”
The governor bit his lips with vexation; but, possessing a wonderful command over his temper, he merely inquired what his son had said about Nelatu.
“Well, sir, he didn’t say much about anything special, except to ask me to look after the Injun lad, and see to his wounds. I did that in first-class style, and, as I told you before, he’s all right. Your son has been down every day to see my patient, as the doctor chaps calls them they physics. He ’peared mighty anxious to know how it was that he had come over to this part of the country alone, and where was the young girl, his sister.”
“Ah! so he was inquiring about her, was he?” exclaimed Rody, rising, and pacing the hut with restless steps. He was glad of a pretext for his rage.
