lse. That's what he's here fur. He
come last month; he's a reel nice man. I seen him 'n' talked with him a
spell, last week; I'm gwine to make his wife a rag carpet. 'N' there's
a doctor, too, to 'tend ter yer when ye're sick, 'n' the Guvvermunt pays
him; yer don't hev to pay nothin'; 'n' I tell yeow, thet's a heap o'
savin', to git yer docterin' fur nuthin'!"

Aunt Ri was out of breath. Alessandro had not understood half she said.
He looked about helplessly for Jos. Jos was away. In his broken English
he tried to explain what Ramona had wished her to do.

"Doctor! Thet's jest what I'm tellin' yer! There is one here's paid by
the Guvvermunt to 'tend to the Injuns thet's sick. I'll go 'n' show yer
ter his house. I kin tell him jest how the baby is. P'r'aps he'll drive
down 'n' see her!"

Ah! if he would! What would Majella say, should she see him enter the
door bringing a doctor!

Luckily Jos returned in time to go with them to the doctor's house as
interpreter. Alessandro was bewildered. He could not understand this new
phase of affairs, Could it be true? As they walked along, he listened
with trembling, half-incredulous hope to Jos's interpretation of Aunt
Ri's voluble narrative.

The doctor was in his office. To Aunt Ri's statement of Alessandro's
errand he listened indifferently, and then said, "Is he an Agency
Indian?"

"A what?" exclaimed Aunt Ri.

"Does he belong to the Agency? Is his name on the Agency books?"

"No," said she; "he never heern uv any Agency till I wuz tellin' him,
jest naow. We knoo him, him 'n' her, over 'n San Jacinto. He lives in
Saboba. He's never been to San Bernardino sence the Agent come aout."

"Well, is he going to put his name down on the books?" said the doctor,
impatiently. "You ought to have taken him to the Agent first."

"Ain't you the Guvvermunt doctor for all Injuns?" asked Aunt Ri,
wrathfully. "Thet's what I heerd."

"Well, my good woman, you hear a great deal, I expect, that isn't true;"
and the doctor laughed coarsely but not ill-naturedly, Alessandro all
the time studying his face with the scrutiny of one awaiting life and
death; "I am the Agency physician, and I suppose all the Indians will
sooner or later come in and report themselves to the Agent; you'd better
take this man over there. What does he want now?"

Aunt Ri began to explain the baby's case. Cutting her short, the doctor
said, "Yes, yes, I understand. I'll give him something that will
help her;" and