. He's up to something. Don't you remember the
captain told us he was a bad-tempered fellow?"

"What did he do?" asked Corny, looking back at the Indian, who now stood
in the road, a short distance from the wall, regarding us very
earnestly.

"Well, he never did anything, much," I said. "He seemed to be angry,
once, because we would not buy some of his things, and the captain said
he'd have him told not to worry us. That may have made him madder yet."

"He don't look mad," said Corny.

"Don't you trust him," said Rectus.

"I believe all these Indians are perfectly gentle, now," said Corny,
"and father thinks so, too. He's been over here a good deal, and talked
to some of them. Let's go ask him what he wants. Perhaps he's only
sorry."

"If he is, we'll never find it out," I remarked, "for he can only speak
one word of English."

I beckoned to Crowded Owl, and he immediately ran up to the wall, and
said "How?" in an uncertain tone, as if he was not sure how we should
take it. However, Corny offered him her hand, and Rectus and I followed
suit. After this, he put his hand into his pocket, and pulled out three
sea-beans.

"There!" said Rectus. "At it again. Disobeying military orders."

"But they're pretty ones," said Corny, taking one of the beans in her
hand.

They were pretty. They were not very large, but were beautifully
polished, and of a delicate gray color, the first we had seen of the
kind.

"These must be a rare kind," said Rectus. "They are almost always brown.
Let's forgive him this once, and buy them."

"Perhaps he wants to make up with you," said Corny, "and has brought
these as a present."

"I can soon settle that question," said I, and I took the three beans,
and pulled from my pocket three quarter-dollars, which I offered to the
Indian.

Crowded Owl took the money, grinned, gave a bob of his head, and went
home happy.

If he had had any wish to "make up" with us, he had shown it by giving
us a chance at a choice lot of goods.

"Now," said I, reaching out my hand to Corny, "here's one for each of
us. Take your choice."

"For me?" said Corny. "No, I oughtn't to. Yes, I will, too. I am ever so
much obliged. We have lots of sea-beans, but none like this. I'll have a
ring fastened to it, and wear it, somehow."

"That'll do to remember us by," said I.

"Yes," said Rectus, "and whenever you're in danger, just hold up that
bean, and we'll come to you."

"I'll do it," said Corny. "But ho