d and their father had gone back to the house to get
shovels and picks to dig up the rocks back of the spring.

"Water? Indian get drink water?" asked the Redman again.

"Oh, he is a real Indian!" whispered Russ to his brother. "I see the
feathers."

"Yes, and he's got a blanket on, same as the Indians have in the picture
Mother showed us," added Laddie.

"Indian get drink!" went on the Redman, as he opened his blanket. The
boys saw that he wore a pair of old and rather dirty trousers and a red
shirt without a collar. Aside from the blanket and the feathers in his
hair, he was not dressed much like an Indian, so the boys decided.

"There isn't much water here," said Russ, "but I guess you can get a
drink. The spring has gone dry."

"Spring gone dry? That funny--plenty rain," said the Indian.

He stooped down and dipped the cocoanut shell in what little water was
in the bottom of the spring.

However the Indian managed to get enough to drink, and then he seemed to
feel better. He sat down on the ground near the two boys and pulled a
package from inside his shirt. It was wrapped in paper and, opening it,
the Indian took out some bread and what seemed to be pieces of dried
meat. Then he began to eat, paying no attention to the boys.

[Illustration: RUSS AND LADDIE WATCHED THE INDIAN WITH WIDE-OPEN EYES.]

Russ and Laddie watched the Indian with wide-open eyes. This was the
first one they had ever seen outside of a circus or a Wild-West show,
and he was not like the Indians there. They all wore gaily-colored
suits, and had many more feathers on their heads than this man did. But
that he was a real Indian, Russ and Laddie never doubted.

Having finished his meal, and taken another drink of water, the Indian
looked at the boys again and said:

"You live here?" and he waved his hand in a circle.

"Not--not zactly," stammered Laddie.

"We're staying with our Uncle Fred at Three Star Ranch," said Russ.

"Oh, Three Star Ranch. Huh! Me know! Good place. Bill Johnson him cook!"

"That's right!" exclaimed Laddie. "He knows Uncle Fred's cook. He must
be a good Indian, Russ."

"I guess he is. Maybe he wants to see Uncle Fred."

"Here they come back," remarked Laddie, and he pointed to his father and
Uncle Fred, who could now be seen coming toward the spring, carrying
picks and shovels over their shoulders.

"You got papoose your house?" asked the Indian, pointing in the
direction of the ranch houses. "You got lit