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Show 324 FORTY YEARS AMONG THE INDIANS. bad and careless. I said I would loan them the cattle for a while as I did not need them, but would let him know when I wanted them. The old man was puzzled, he did not know what to say or do. At length, after sitting and studying a while, he said : " Suppose the cattle never get onto your land again; how will it be then ?" I then showed him my book and explained to him that some accounts were in pencil and some in pen and ink; that his was still in pencil and if left that way would wear out after a time, but sometimes it lasted two or three years, and that if he would keep his cattle away for a long time I would not write with ink and maybe the pencil marks would all wear out. He seemed pleased at this, saying- that the cattle should not get back any more, and the account would be snre to wear out before they came back. I now gave the old man a piece of ground on our side near the crossing of the river. He said he would live there and watch the cattle himself and not let them cross. This was the land I had formerly given to my first interpreter who had deceived me so. This same fellow came afterwards and claimed the land. He was a Mari-copa. This was on the end of the land I had given to the Pimas. I explained this to him. Although I con-sidered there was nothing due to the man, I offered him land up among his own people. This he declined, but claimed the first piece. I told him I had paid him for the land . He said I had not paid him for the land but for the work done on it; that the land was his. I finally told him to leave and bother me no more; that he was dishonest and I did not want to see him till he was a better man. |