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Page 21
"Hey, you! What you doin'?" bawled Dakota Joe, when he found himself
sitting on the hard ground, staring up at the group.
"Ain't doing nothing," drawled Ben. "It's done. Better sit where you be,
Mister, and cool off."
"What sort o' tomfoolishness is this?" asked the miller again. "Makin'
one o' them picture-shows right here on the public road? I want to
know!"
At that, and without rising from his seat in the road, Dakota Joe
Fenbrook lifted up his voice and gave his opinion of all moving picture
people, and especially those that would steal "that Injun gal" from a
hard-working man like himself. He stated that the efforts of a "shark
named Hammond" and this girl here that he thought was a lady an'
friendly to him were about to ruin his show.
"They'll crab the whole business if they git Wonota away from me. That's
what will happen! And I ought to give her a blame' good lickin'--"
"We won't hear nothing more about that," interrupted the old miller,
advancing a stride or two toward the angry Westerner. "Whether the gal's
got blue blood or red blood, or what color, she ain't going to be
mishandled none by you. Understand? You git up and git!"
"But what has happened, Wonota?" the puzzled Ruth asked the Indian girl.
Wonota pointed scornfully at Fenbrook, just then struggling to his feet.
"Joe, heap smart white man. Wuh!" She really was grimly chuckling. "He
go get a talking paper from the court. Call it injunction, eh?"
"I heard about the injunction," admitted Ruth interestedly.
"All right Wonota can't leave Joe to work for you, eh? But the paleface
law-man say to me that that talking paper good only In that county. You
see? I not in that county now."
"Oh, Jerry!" gasped Jennie Stone. "Isn't that cute? She is outside the
jurisdiction of the court."
"Sho!" exclaimed Jabez Potter, much amused by this outcome of the
matter. "It is a fact. Go on back to your show, mister. The gal's here,
and she's with friends, and that's all there is to it."
Dakota Joe had already realized this situation. He climbed slowly into
his saddle and eyed them all--especially Ruth and Wonota--with a savage
glare.
"Wait!" he growled. "Wait--that's all. I'll fix you movie people
yet--the whole of you! It's the sorriest day's job you ever done to get
Wonota away from me. Wait!"
He rode away. When he was some rods up the road, down which he had
galloped, he set spurs to his horse again and dashed on and out of
sight. For a little while nobody spoke. It was Jennie who, as usual,
light-hearted and unafraid, broke the silence.
"Well, all right, we'll wait," she said. "But we needn't do it right
here, I suppose. We can sit down and wait just as easily."
Helen laughed. But Ruth and Wonota were sober, and even Uncle Jabez
Potter saw something to take note of in the threat of the proprietor of
the Wild West Show.
"That man is a coward. That's as plain as the nose on your face. And a
coward when he gits mad and threatens you is more to be feared than a
really brave man. That man's a coward. He's mean. He's p'ison mean! You
want to look out for him, Niece Ruth. I wouldn't wonder if he tried,
some time, to do you and Mr. Hammond some trick that won't bring you in
no money, to say the least."
The old miller went off with that statement on his lips. Ben, the hired
man, followed him, shaking his head. The girls looked at each other,
then at the rapidly disappearing cloud of dust raised by Dakota Joe's
pony. Jennie said:
"Well, goodness! why so serious? Guess that man won't do such a much!
Don't be scared, Wonota. We won't let anybody hurt you."
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