Noticing that the white man glanced at the shoes, he said: “Der likes uff heem I vear vhen I vass a poy, in der olt gountry. So I dhinks, vhen I blan diss drip, vooden shoon is maype petter as leadher vuns; maype der sand don’t purn t’rough der vood so pad as t’rough der leadher. Unt I vass righd; id don’t. In dese I valk all tay t’rough der hot desert uff der sands, unt I ton’d feel id.” “I hadn’t thought of that,” Conover admitted. “But I should think they’d be so clumsy you couldn’t get along at all.” Schnitzenhauser dissented vigorously, and danced across the floor to show how light he was on his feet, in spite of the clumsy shoes. “Id make a heab uff tifference uff a veller peen used to ’em,” he asserted. “Dey vass Cherman shoes, unt I vear dhem as a poy already. It make me feel youngk again vhen I bud dese on my feed. Yaw, dat iss so.” “About this other matter,” said Conover. “I’m told you were following the trail of the pony that came, in here. I didn’t see you, but that’s what the Indians reported here.” “You didn’t seen me?” Conover had made a slip, probably, but he smiled. “I might as well tell you just how it was,” he said, “and then you’ll have a clearer understanding. A child was stolen from the town of Skyline. You know where that is?” “Apowet. But I ain’d neffer peen dere.” “A certain woman stole that child from there, and set out to bring it here. The Indians here didn’t know it—didn’t know she intended to do it, though it so nearly concerned them.” “Vat iss? Chilt sdealin’ iss a mean pitzness.” “I reckon you’re right about that. But that isn’t my story. She set out with the child, and Buffalo Bill and some of his pards——” “Vat!” The German flounced round, staring. “Dit you say Puffalo Pill?” “Buffalo Bill and his pards, Nomad and Hickok, set out, with another man, to follow the trail of the person who kidnaped the child.” “De chilt iss in vat blace?” “It is here.” “Donderundblitzen! Id iss here!” “Right here in this town.” “Den Puffalo Pill iss caming?” “He and his pards are out in the hills beyond the town now, and the Indians are planning to capture him.” “Mein himmel! Iss dot de troot?” “Yes, they’re out there, and I reckon the reds will sure bag them. I’ll get to that directly, and give you a plan whereby maybe you can help them, if they’re not captured before night. “The other man who set out from Skyline with Buffalo Bill and his pards had been in this part of the country before and knew about it, and they took him along as a guide because of it. But one night when the whole camp was asleep, even the guards, this woman, who had gone on with the child, and then had turned back to see if she had been followed, entered their camp, and awoke this man, without arousing the others.