Ramon had taught her the Spanish love words,
there where she had listened shyly and happily to
THE SONG OF THE OMAHA
his voice that was so soft and so steeped in love, Annie-Many-Ponies stood up with her face to the mountains and sorrow in her eyes, and chanted again the wailing, Omaha mourning-song. And just hehind her the little black dog, that had followed close to her heels all the way, sat upon his haunches and pointed his nose to the sky and howled.
For a long time she wailed. Then to the mountains that she loved she made the sign of peace-and-farewell, and turned herself stoically to the keeping of her oath. Her bundle that was so big and heavy she placed in the saddle and fastened with the saddle-string and with the red sash that had bound it across her chest and shoulders. Then, as her great grandmother had plodded across the bleak plains of the Dakotas at her master's behest, Annie-Many-Ponies took the bridle reins and led the horse out of the ruin, and started upon her plodding, patient journey to what lay beyond the mountains. Behind her the black horse walked with drooping head, half asleep in the warm sunlight. At the heels of the horse followed the little black dog.
CHAPTER IX
BIDEES IN' THE BACKGROUND
LUCK, as explained elsewhere, was sweating and swearing at the heat in Bear Canon. The sun had crept around so that it shone full into a certain bowlder-strewn defile, and up this sunbaked gash old Applehead was toiling, leading the scrawniest burro which Luck had been able to find in the country. The burro was packed with a prospector's outfit startlingly real in its pathetic meagerness. Old Applehead was picking his way among rocks so hot that he could hardly bear to lay his bare hand upon them, tough as that hand was with years of exposure to heat and cold alike. Beads of perspiration were standing on his face, which was a deep, apoplectic crimson, and little trickles of sweat were dropping off his lower jaw. He was muttering as he climbed, but the camera fortunately failed to record the language that he used. Now and then he turned and yanked sav-126
RIDERS IN THE BACKGROUND
agely at the lead rope; whereupon the burro would sit down upon its haunches and allow Applehead to stretch its neck as far as bone and tough hide and tougher sinew would permit. Someone among the group roosting in the shade across the defile and well out of camera range would laugh, and Luck, standing on a ledge just behind and above the camera, would shout directions or criticism of the ' business.'
' Come on back, Applehead,' Luck yelled when the ' prospector ' had turned a corner of rock and disappeared from sight of the camera. 'We'll do that scene over once more before the sun gets too far around.'
' Do it over, will ye ? ' Applehead snarled as he came toiling obediently back down the gulch. ' Well, now, I ain't so danged shore about that there doin' over —'nless yuh want to wait and do it after sundown. Ain't nobody but a danged fool 't would go trailin' up that there gulch this kinda day. Them rocks up there is hot enough to brile a lizard — now, I'm tellin' ye! '
Luck covered a smile with his moist palm. He could not afford to be merciful at the expense of 127
THE HERITAGE OF THE SIOUX
good ' picture-stuff,' however, so he called down grimly:
' Now you're just about fagged enough for that close-up I want of you, Applehead. You went up that gulch a shade too brisk for a fellow that's all in from traveling, and starved into the bargain. Come back down here by this sand bank, and start up towards camera. Back up a little, Pete, so you can ' pam' his approach. I want to get him pulling his burro up past that bank — sabe ? And the close-up of his face with all those sweat-streaks will prove how far he's come — and then I want the detail of that burro and his pack which you'll get as they go by. You see what I mean. Let's see. Will it swing you too far into the sun, Pete, if you pick him up down there in that dry channel ? '
' Not if you let me make it right away,' Pete replied after a squint or two through the view-finder. ' Sun's getting pretty far over —'
' Ought to leave a feller time to git his wind,' Applehead complained, looking up at Luck with eyes bloodshot from the heat. ' I calc'late mebby you think it's fun to drag that there burro up over them rocks ?'
RIDERS IN THE BACKGROUND
' Sure, it isn't fun. We didn't come out here for fun. Go down and wait behind that bank, and come out into the channel when I give the word. I want you coming up all-in, just as you look right now. Sorry, but I can't let you wait to cool off, Applehead.'
' Well now,' Applehead began with short-winded sarcasm, ' I'm s'posed to be outa grub. Why didn't yuh up 'n' starve me fer a week or two, so'st I'd be gaunted up realistic ? Why didn't yuh break a laig fer me, sos't I kin show some five-cent bunch in a pitcher-show how bad I'm off ? Danged if I ain't jest about gittin' my hide full uh this here danged fool reelism you're hollerin' fur all the time. • T you send me down there to come haulin* that there burro back up here so's the camery kin watch me sweat 'n' puff my danged daylights out — before I git a drink uh water, I'll murder ye in cold blood, now I'm tellin' ye! '
' You go on down there and shut up! ' Luck yelled inexorably. ' You can drink a barrel when I'm through with this scene — and not before. Get that ? My Lord! If you can't lead a burro a hundred yards without setting down and fanning 129
THE HERITAGE OF THE SIOUX
yourself to sleep, you must be losing your grip for fair. I'll stake you to a rocking-chair and let you do old grandpa parts, if you aren't able to —'
' Dang you, Luck, if you wasn't such a little runt I'd come up there and jest about lick the pants off you! Talk that way to me, will ye ? I'll have ye know I kin lead burros with you or any other dang man, heat er no heat. Ef yuh ain't got no more heart'n to ast it of me, I'll haul this here burro up V down this dang gulch till there ain't nothin' left of 'im but the lead-rope, and the rocks is all wore down to cobble-stone! Ole grandpa parts, hey ? You'll swaller them words when I git to ye, young feller — and you'll swaller 'em mighty dang quick, now I'm tellin' ye! '
He went off down the gulch to the sand bank. The Happy Family, sprawled at ease in the shade, took cigarettes from their lips that they might chortle their amusement at the two. Like father and son were Applehead and Luck, but their bickerings certainly would never lead one to suspect their affection.
' Get that darned burro outa sight, will you ?' Luck bawled impatiently when Applehead paused 130
