But what's gittin' to worry me, by cripes, is all this here war-talk about Injuns.

Honest to grandma, I feel like as if I'd been readin'-- " "Aw, it's jest a josh, Bud!" Happy Jack asserted boredly.

"I betche there ain't been a Injun on the fight here sence hell was a tradin' post!" "You think there hasn't ?" Luck looked up quickly to ask.

But old Applehead rose up and shook an indignant finger at Happy Jack.
"There ain't, hey?
Well, I calc'late that fer a josh, them thar Navvies has got a right keen sense uh humor, and I've knowed men to laff theirselves to death on their danged resavation--now I'm tellin' yuh I It was all a josh mebby, when they riz up a year or two back 'cause one uh their tribe was goin' t' be arrested er some darn thing! Ole General Scott, he didn't call it no joke when he, went in thar to settle 'em down, did he?
I calc'late, mebby it was jest fer a josh them troops waited on the aidge, ready to go in if he didn't git back a certain time! 'N' that wasn't so fur back, shorely,--only two years.

Why dang your fool heart, I've laid out there in them hills myself and fit off the Navvies--'n' _I_ didn't see nothin' much to laugh at, now I'm tellin' yuh! Time I went there after Jose Martinez--" "Better get under way, boys," Luck interrupted, having heard many times the details of that fight and capture.