I pulled back the tent fly and stepped out; then I called to Mike, for the first thing I seen was that gold fillin’ of ours.  Yes, sir, right there, starin’ me in the eye, was the sole and shinin’ monument to me and Mike’s brief whirl at the science of dentistry.  The face surroundin’ it was stretched wide and welcome, and the minute this here new-comer reco’nized me, he drawed back his upper lip and pointed proudly to his ornament, then he dug up his lookin’-glass and his polishin’-rag and begun to dust it off.  It was plain to be seen that he thought more of it than his right eye.  And it impressed the other Injuns, too; they crowded up and studied it.  They took turns feelin’ of it, especially the squaws, and I bet if we’d had our dentist outfit with us we could of got rich right there.  The chief’s daughter, in particular, was took with the beauties of that gew-gaw, and she made signs to us that she wanted one just like it.

“I never noticed he was so rangy,” Mike told me, when he’d sized up the new arrival.  “Say, this guy looks good.  He’s split plumb to the larynx and I bet he can run, for all of that wind-shield.”

I noticed that Mike was pretty grave when he come back in the tent, and more than once that day I caught him lookin’ at the champeen, sort of studyin’ him out.  But for that matter this new party was gettin’ his full share of attention; everywhere he went there was a trail of kids at his heels, and every time he opened his mouth he made a hit with the grown folks.  The women just couldn’t keep their eyes offen him, and I seen that Mike was gettin’ pretty sore.

In the evenin’ he made a confession that tipped off the way his mind was workin’.  “This is the first time I ever felt nervous before a race,” said he.  “Mebbe it’s because it’s goin’ to be my last race; mebbe it’s because that Injun knows me and ain’t scared of me.  Anyhow, I’m scared of him.  That open-faced, Elgin-movement buck has got me tickin’ fast.”

“That ain’t what’s got your goat,” I told him.

“Your cooin’ dove is dazzled by that show of wealth, and you know it.”

“Hell!  She’s just curious, that’s all.  She’s just a kid.  I—­I wish I’d of known who he was when I treated him.  I’d of drove a horse-shoe nail in his knee.”

But all the same Mike looked worried.

It rained hard that night, and the next morning the grass was pretty wet.  Mike tried it, first thing, and come back grinnin’ till the top of his head was an island.

“That sod is so slippery old Flyin’ Cloud can’t get a good stride in his moccasins.  Me, I can straddle out and take holt with my spikes.  Them spikes is goin’ to put us on easy street.  You see!  I don’t care how good he is, they’re goin’ to give me four hundred head of broncs and a cute little pigeon to look out for ’em.  Me, I’m goin’ to lay back and learn to play the guitar.  I’m goin’ to learn it by note.”

“You sure got the makin’s of a squaw-man,” I told him.  “Seems like I’ve over-read your hand.  I used to think you had somethin’ in you besides a appetite, but I was wrong.  You’re plumb cultus, Mike.”