n and for one moment, during which he felt almost ashamed for
looking, he had seen Clifford prostrate himself thus and lie there
outstretched for how long, he did not know. It did not seem right to him
to look for more than a minute.
After a silence of about half an hour, during which Bauer had risen,
Clifford appeared in the doorway of the hogan with his usual cheerful
"Good-morning; Sehr gut?"
"Ja, sehr gut," replied Bauer. "When do we start?"
"Right after breakfast."
"How long will it take us to make the trip to Oraibi?"
"Oh, it depends on how often we lose the way. May take two days, may
take three."
"Have you been there before?"
"Seen the snake dance five times."
"Is it as wonderful as they say?"
"Is it? I am just as much interested in it now as I was the first time.
But the poor devils! Half of 'em don't know what their rigamarole means.
And Mr. Masters thinks the government ought to put an end to it. Last
time there were over a hundred tourists came up from all over the
country and turned Oraibi into a sort of bargain day. The dance confirms
'em in their superstitions. But no mistake it's a wonderful sight to be
going on in the U. S."
"Mr. Masters said several parties were going to come this year from
Pittsburgh and New York."
"Yes. The Van Shaws are among them. I understood Miss Douglas to tell
Miss Gray that one of these Van Shaws was in the same school with her
brother and you. Do you know him?"
"Yes--I know who he is," said Bauer, slower than usual. He could not
forget the incident that occurred in Walter's room when Van Shaw had
started to relate an objectionable story and Walter had prevented him
from telling it. Van Shaw's general reputation for fast and questionable
habits corresponded with this incident and Bauer felt annoyed at the
possibility of a chance meeting with his party.
But in the bustle of preparation for the journey, everything else was
soon forgotten except the immediate interest. Bauer was not expected to
do anything except get his own few travelling necessities together. But
he quietly helped Mrs. Masters in a number of ways and she afterwards
told Clifford that the laconic German student was the most remarkable
young man she ever knew to anticipate a want and do a thing right the
first time.
"Just the opposite of me," said Clifford. "I have to do a thing twice
anyway to make sure, like the doctor in our old town in Vermont, who
used to say that if he didn'
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