han a week, too. I can peg it out, and I can make me the iron
hoe, and I can soften the hide with brains, and I can rub it until it
is finished. I have, or can get, about all the ingredients you mention
except the clay. If I had some white pipe clay I believe I could
really make me a beautiful robe for a counterpane for my bed next
winter."

"If it's only clay you want," said Curly lazily, "I can git you plenty
of that."

"Where?" said Franklin.

"Over in a little holler, to the crick back o' town," said Curly. "You
go on an' tack out your hide, an' I'll ride over and git you some."

"How'll you carry it," said Franklin, "if you go on horseback?"

"Kerry it!" said Curly contemptuously. "How'd you s'pose I'd kerry
it? Why, in my hat, o' course!" and he rode off without deigning
further explanation. Franklin remained curious regarding this episode
until, an hour later, Curly rode up to the house again, carrying his
hat by the brim, with both hands before him, and guiding his pony with
his knees. He had, indeed, a large lump of white, soft clay, which he
carried by denting in the crown of his hat and crowding the clay into
the hollow. After throwing down the clay and slapping the hat a few
times on his knee, he seemed to think his headgear not injured by this
transaction.

"There's yer blamed clay," said he; "it'll be a good while before you
need it, but there she is."

The two were joined at this juncture by Battersleigh, who had come over
to pay a morning visit, and who now stood looking on with some interest
at the preparations in progress.

"It's makin' ye a robe is it, Ned, me boy?" said he. "I'm bound it's a
fine thing ye'll do. I'll give yer four dollars if ye'll do as much
for me. Ye wouldn't be leavin' old Batty to sleep cold o' nights, now,
wud ye, Ned?"

"Oh, go tan your own robes," said Franklin cheerfully. "I'm not in the
wholesale line."

"You might git Juan to tan you all one or two," said Curly. "He kin
tan ez good ez ary Injun ever was."

"But, by the way, Curly," said Franklin, "how is Juan this morning? We
haven't heard from him for a day or two."

"Oh, him?" said Curly. "Why, he's all right. He's just been layin'
'round a little, like a dog that's been cut up some in a wolf fight,
but he's all right now. Shoulder's about well, an' as fer the
knife-cut, it never did amount to nothin' much. You can't hurt a
Greaser much, not noways such a big one as Juan. But didn't he