e glimpsed a figure which flitted
behind a huge rock a few rods in advance of him, and his eyes were not
used to playing him tricks.

He gave a twitch of his fingers upon the reins, and turned from the
trail to investigate. He rode up to the rock, which stood like an island
of shade in that sea of soft moonlight, and, peering into the shadows,
spoke a guarded challenge:

"Who's that?"

A figure detached itself without sound from the blot of darkness there,
and stood almost at his stirrup.

"Yo' Good Injun--me likum for talk yo'."

Good Indian was conscious of a distinct disappointment, though he kept
it from his voice when he answered:

"Oh, it's you, Peppajee. What you do here? Why you no sleepum yo'
wikiup?"

Peppajee held up a slim, brown hand for silence, and afterward rested it
upon the saddle-fork.

"Yo' heap frien' Peaceful. Me heap frien' all same. Mebbyso we talk.
Yo' get down. No can see yo', mebbyso; yo' no likum bad man for se--" He
stepped back a pace, and let Good Indian dismount; then with a gesture
he led him back into the shadow of the rock.

"Well, what's the row?" Good Indian asked impatiently, and curiously as
well.

Peppajee spoke more hastily than was usual. "Me watchum
Man-that-catchum-fish. Him hee-eeap kay bueno. Me no sabe why him walk,
walk in night--me heap watchum."

"You mean Baumberger? He's all right. He comes down here to catchum many
fish--trout, up in the Malad, you sabe. Heap friend Peaceful. You no
likum?"

"Kay bueno." Peppajee rested a forefinger upon Good Indian's arm. "Sun
up there," he pointed high in the west. "Me go all same Hartley. Come
stable--Pete stable--me walkum close--no makum noise. Me hear talk.
Stoppum--no can see--me hear much bad talk. All time me hear, heap
likum for steal dis ranch. Me no sabe"--his tone was doubtful for a
space--"all same, me hear stealum this ranch. Man, you callum--"

"Baumberger?" suggested Grant.

"Him. All same Baumberga, him talk Man-that-coughs. All time say
stealum ranch. Makum much bad talk, them mans. Me come ranch, me tellum
Peaceful, him all time laugh, me. All time shakum head. Mebbyso thinkum
I lie--shont-isham!"

"What more you do?" Good Indian, at least, did not laugh.

"Me go camp. Me thinkum, thinkum all time. Dat man have bad heart. Kay
bueno. No can sleep--thinkum mebbyso do bad for Peaceful. Come ranch,
stop all time dark, all time heap watchum. Bimeby, mebbyso man--all same
yo' callum Baumberga--him