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Show Page 64 the distress I felt at the thought of Indians lurking about the settlement. "Them Indians will scalp you afore you have a chance to tell 'em good day," he said solemnly. "Only last week I ran into a wicked one over by Edward Howe's. He tried to scalp me, but I wiggled and kicked so, he botched it. Did bite off my little finger though," he said, thrusting his hand under my nose. In truth, most of the little finger on his left hand was missing and I was in a swivet for a moment. Then I saw the glint in his eye and bethought to myself that the finger had for certain been missing longer than a week. "You crafty noddy!" I exclaimed, giving him a rap upon his pate. I deem it was the first time I had seen him smile, a wide, toothy smile, as though his jest amused him vastly. The old-seeming look in his eyes vanished and he became the child he truly was. "How did you lose your finger?" I asked. "The truth now or I shall give you a real clout." "In truth, 'twas bit off," he answered, skipping along the muddy roadway that had opened up before us. "Baggy Willie bit it off when we were tussling over a gent's pocket watch ere I was snatched up and hauled to Virginia." "And where would the likes of you get a gentleman's pocket watch?" |
