The pension he received for having killed a few of his
fellow-men at the behest of his government was devoted solely to
liquid relief from the monotony of his life, and welcome indeed
was the man who brought him a bottle of joy between times.
Wherefore Good Indian had thoughtfully provided himself with a
quart or so and rode with his mind at ease so far as his welcome
at the Hicks dwelling place was concerned.
Once again the Peaceful Hart ranch lay in brooding silence under
the shadow of the bluff. A few crickets chirped shrilly along
the trail, and from their sudden hush as he drew near marked
unerringly his passing. Along the spring-fed creek the frogs
croaked a tuneless medley before him, and, like the crickets,
stopped abruptly and waited in absolute silence to take up their
night chant again behind him. His horse stepped softly in the
deep sand of the trail, and, when he found that his rider refused
to let him stop at the stable-door, shook his head in mute
displeasure, and went quietly on.
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