Page 254 - TheHopiIndians
P. 254

246      MESA FOLK OP HOPILAND

             and put these questions to him, "You good man,
             uneshtan', you honesht man?" Then as if satisfied,
             he turned to another of the party and said, "You
             handsome man; you beautiful man," and it was not
             long before Toby had a packet of coveted smoking to
             bacco, although from the unkempt appearance of the
             explorers, his laudations were base flattery.
               It was plain that Toby was desirous of airing his
             remarkable English, of which he is very proud, and
             also of paving the way to sundry small gratuities.
             These intentions of the Hopi are quite as apparent as
             that of the little child who says, ' ' Ducky likes sweet
             cakes." Toby was asked to bring in a burro load of
             wood for cooking purposes, but with great suavity he
             explained that on this day the Snake priests hunted in
             the East world-quarter, and according to custom no
             one must work in that direction.  On account of these
             conscientious scruples of Toby's, the venerable peach
             tree was requisitioned for enough dead branches till
             such time as he should sally forth with his burros for
             cedar billets.
               The day before the Antelope Dance Toby came down
             to the camp on important business chewing a moc
             casin sole which he was stitching.  He broached the
             subject by mysteriously saying, "Plenty Navaho come
             to see Snake Dance. Navaho velly bad, steal evely-
             thing." (This in a furtive way, because the Hopi are
             afraid of the Navaho.)  "Me stay, watch camp; you
             go see dance: Navaho bad man." It is well to say
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