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Page 51
"H-mm!" ejaculated Yorke, "seems to me I've got a hazy recollection of
meeting up with that fellow before--somewhere. In a hotel in High River,
I think it was. Beggar was yarning about Cuba, I remember."
"Bet it was hazy all right," was Redmond's sarcastic rejoiner, "like most
of your bar-room recollections, Yorkey." He gave vent to a snorting
chuckle. "That 'D'you know? Ya! ya!' accent of his reminds me of that
curate in 'The Private Secretary.' I saw it played to Toronto, once."
At this juncture the door opened, and a trio of Indians padded softly
into the store with gaily-beaded, moccasined feet. Two elderly bucks and
a young squaw. The latter flashed a shy, roguish grin at the white men,
and then with the customary effacement of Indian women withdrew to the
rear of the store. Squatting down, all huddled-up in her blanket, she
peered at them with the incurious, but all-seeing stare of her tribe.
George got an impression of beady black eyes and a brown, rounded,
child-like face framed in a dazzling yellow kerchief.
The two bucks, with a momentary gleam of welcome wrinkling their
ruthless, impassive features, exchanged a salutation with MacDavid in
guttural Cree, which language the latter spoke fluently. They were
clothed in the customary fashion of their tribe--with a sort of
blanket-capote garment reaching below the knee, their lower limbs swathed
in strips of blanket, wound puttee-wise. Battered old felt hats
comprised their head-gear, below which escaped two plaited pig-tails of
coarse, mane-like, black hair, the latter parted at the nape of the neck
and dangling forward down their broad chests.
Slavin and Yorke hailed them familiarly. The elder buck rejoiced in the
sonorous title of "Minne-tronk-ske-wan," but divers convictions for
insobriety under the Indian Liquor Act, and the facetious tongue of
Yorke, had contorted this into the somewhat opprobrious nickname of "Many
Drunks." His companion was known as "Sun Dog."
They now proceeded to shake hands all around. "How! Many Drunks!"
shouted Yorke. Pointing to Redmond, he added "oweski skemoganish" (new
policeman). With a ferocious grin, intended for an ingratiating smile of
welcome, Many Drunks advanced upon George, with outstretched hand. In a
rapid aside Yorke said: "Listen, Reddy, to what he says, he only knows
six or seven words of English, but he's as proud as Punch of 'em--always
likes to get 'em off on a stranger. Don't laugh!"
Within a pace of Redmond that gentleman halted. "How!" he grunted, and,
pausing impressively drew himself up and tapped his inflated chest,
"Minne-tronk-ske-wan! . . . great man!--me--"
And then Redmond nearly choked, as Many Drunks, with intense gravity,
proudly conferred upon himself the most objectionable title that exists
in four words of the English language--rounding that same off with a
majestic "Wah! wah!"
Turning, George beheld himself the target of covert grins from the
others, who evidently were familiar with Many Drunks' linguistic
attainments. Sun Dog merely uttered "How! Shemoganish." He did not
profess ability to rise to the occasion like his companion.
Yorke, who was evidently in one of his reckless, rollicking moods,
proceeded to make certain teasing overtures to Many Drunks. His
knowledge of Cree being nearly as limited as that worthy's knowledge of
English, he enlisted the aid of MacDavid as interpreter. The dialogue
that ensued was something as follows:
"Tell him I'm fed up with the Force and am thinking seriously of going to
live on the reserve--_monial nayanok-a-weget_--turn 'squaw-man'--'take
the blanket.'"
MacDavid translated swiftly, received the answer, and turned to Yorke.
"He says '_Aie-ha_! (yes) You make good squaw-man.'"
"Ask him--if I do--if he'll _muskkatonamwat_ (trade) me the young lady
over in the corner there, for two bottles of _skutiawpw�_ (whiskey)."
"He says '_Nemoyah_!' (no)--if he does that, you'll turn around and
_kojipyh�k_ (arrest) him for having liquor in his possession."
"Tell him--_Nemoyah_! I won't."
"He says _Aie-hat ekwec�_! (Yes, all right) you can have her. Says
she's his brother's wife's niece. But he says you must give him the two
bottles of _skutiawpw�_ first, though."
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