Mr. Johnson grunted.
'Ever stay there?'
'Naw.'
'What do you think of them?'
Mr. Johnson grinned and spat.
Duff said, 'By the way, are you a Christian?''
'Sure,' said Mr. Johnson. 'You?'
'I am,' said Duff, suppressing a sense of outrage. 'Some of the Oneidas down there stick to the old religion, they tell me.'
'The old man gimme a dollar.'
'That so?' said Duff cautiously.
'Yeah.' Mr. Johnson spat 'To get baptized.'
'The old man. That would be Stephen?'
'He's dead.'
The dialogue seemed to have come to a dead end
'Go to school, did you?' ventured Duff.
'Sure.'
'Where?'
'Here.'
'How long?'
Mr. Johnson moved his shoulders. 'The old man gimme a dollar to spht half a cord of wood. So I quit.'
'What,' said Duff rather desperately, 'did you want to be?'
'Huh?'
'I mean when you were a kid.' No answer. 'For instance, didn't you ever want to drive the engine?'
'The train engine?' Duff nodded. 'Naw,' said Mr. Johnson.
'I guess you'd just as soon have a lot of money,' said Duff artfully.
'What for?'
'To spend.'
'Naw. I mean what for?'
'Beg pardon?'
'Wadd'ya want me to do?'
'Nothing. Why?'
'Thought you had a job,' said Mr. Johnson.
'Would you kill somebody if I paid you for it?'
Mr. Johnson's dark face didn't change. 'Who?'
'Anybody.'
'Innes, hey?'
Duff looked at him. 'What makes you say that?'
134
Mr. Johnson scratched himself. 'That's whatcha want to know,' he stated.
Duff admitted 'Yes. Well?'
'What's tlie matter with Innes?' said Mr. Johnson. 'He gimme a dollar.'
'Suppose somebody gave you more than that?'
Duff searched the brown face. It was expressionless. 'Listen,' said Mr. Johnson, 'do it yourself.'
Alice stifled a giggle. Duff turned and saw her. He got up and jouied her in the kitchen.
'How's the poor Indian?' she whispered.
'Lo,' said Duff ruefully, 'now, I think he's kidding me.'
They went toward the front of the house together. Alice looked up at Duffs face and caught him with the feathers of his spirit ruffled. 'Is he super-naive or is he super-subtle? Alice, he's got the Indian sign on me.'
'Well, I don't believe it,' said Alice stoudy. 'What shall we do now?'
'Shall we beard Maud?'
