Bah laughed and hid her face behind the new doll. Mother chuckled to herself, as Indians do when they are amused. Then she said: "I make some real "Bah" for you."
"Oh, that would be fine!" said the boy.
Then, realizing that he had practically asked for it, he hung his head and added: "But don"t do it if it"s too much trouble."
The remark seemed to amuse the Indian woman, for she chuckled again as she arose, but she did not answer him. Instead, she began to prepare for the making of the bread.
Billy watched the process with great interest, and ate with even more interest when it was finished. The Bah was delicious, he thought.
It tasted like--no, it didn"t taste like anything Billy had ever eaten before.
After having done justice to the new food, the boy was shown in and about the hogan by his little friend. She took him to her "play hogan."
It was made for her by her father and was just like the one they lived in, except that it was only large enough for one child to fit into.
"We could have lots of fun here, Bah. I"d like to come again and play with you. May I?" Billy asked.
"Yes, come much," answered Bah happily.
"And we"ll play that I"m an Indian Chief and you are the Indian Mother, and the doll--oh, we haven"t named the doll yet, have we?" said Billy.
"No, doll no name yet," said Bah.
"Well, let"s see, how shall we do it?" Billy mused. "Suppose you come out of your play hogan and look around. The first thing you see will be what we"ll name her."
"Yes, I do," said Bah--and obediently she entered the small hogan.
"Now come out, but close your eyes," called Billy.
Out came the little girl, holding her papoose doll. She stood, with closed eyes, in the door of her hogan, and waited for further instructions.
"Open your eyes!" called the boy, "and tell me what you see!"
Bah"s eyes opened slowly, dramatically. Her head was raised and as she looked she saw a bluebird in a tree. Billy followed her gaze and saw what she did.
[Ill.u.s.tration: NAMING THE PAPOOSE DOLL]
"How lucky!" thought he, "Now the child will have a beautiful name!"
But Bah looked down at her baby and smilingly said: "Bah name you "Doli"."
Billy was horribly disappointed. "Oh, listen, Bah. Don"t do that! Why every girl calls a doll "dolly." That"s common--name her "Bluebird."
You saw one, didn"t you?"
Bah was still smiling as she said: "Yes, I see and I name papoose "Bluebird" in Navajo--that is "Doli"."
A grin spread from one of Billy"s ears to the other. "That"s the time you fooled me!" said he.
They were laughing over Bah"s joke when they saw some one coming towards them. "My father come home," cried Bah, and ran to meet him.
As he came nearer Billy saw that he was very tall and very straight.
He wore white trousers tied below the knees with red ribbons, a sash about his waist, and many beads hanging from his neck. His hair was long and tied in the back, much the same as Bah"s, with a white cloth.
He came over and held out his hand to Billy. He said: "I hear you good to little Bah. Me Bah"s father."
Billy was thrilled to shake the hand of such a fine big Indian, and to find that he was treating him as a friend.
"He Big Chief," said Bah proudly.
"Oh, are you a Big Chief?" asked the boy. A thought began to flicker through his mind. He would surprise his father--his father who was hobn.o.bbing daily with Big Chiefs and Medicine Men, and who thought Billy was wasting his time.
He wouldn"t say a word to Father, but he"d begin tonight and he"d write a story, all about Bah, her mother and her father, the Big Chief. He"d come back again tomorrow and learn more from them, for hadn"t Bah said "Come much"--which meant he was welcome.
"Well, I have had such a good time with Bah--Mr.-a-a"
"My name "Fighting Bull,"" said the brave (as Indian men are called).
"I know why you"re called Fighting Bull," said Billy, sagely. "One time when you were little your Mother must have seen a bull fight!"
CHAPTER VI
BILLY STARTS HIS STORY
The next morning found Billy fully dressed and ready to leave before his parents were even awake. He could hardly wait for them to be astir and as soon as he heard his mother"s step in her room he knocked at the door. Mother opened it and stood amazed.
"Why, Billy--at this hour! What do you mean?"
"I"m going out, Mother, and I didn"t want to leave before you were awake."
"But, dear, you can"t go so early, and without your breakfast."
"Oh, that"s all right. Peanuts and I will go to the Trading Post and get breakfast. You see, Mother, I have to--"
Just then there came a growl from within the room. It came from Father.
"What is the commotion? And at such an hour! Billy, what"s the excitement?"
"Nothing, Father--only it"s such a fine morning and I want a ride."
"Let him go, Mother. He is only keeping me from my hard-earned rest.
When one works one needs sleep. Billy will never need it!"
Billy was sharp enough to understand his father"s words and, smiling shrewdly to himself, he clutched a paper which reposed in his pocket, but he only called out, "Goodby, Father."
His mother kissed him with the parting words: "Do be careful, Billy, and don"t go too far."