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His long； burned； oiled face looked at Pinin。 His hands lay on the blankets。
¨You are nineteen？〃 he asked。 ¨Yes； Signor Maggiore。〃
¨You have ever been in love？〃
¨How do you mean； Signor Maggiore？〃
¨In lovewith a girl？〃
¨I have been with girls。〃
¨I did not ask that。 I asked if you had been in lovewith a girl。〃
¨Yes； Signor Maggiore。〃
¨You are in love with this girl now？ You donˇt write her。 I read all your letters。〃
¨I am in love with her；〃 Pinin said； ¨but I do not write her。〃
¨You are sure of this？〃
¨I am sure。〃
¨Tonani；〃 the major said in the same tone of voice； ¨can you hear me talking？〃
There was no answer from the next room。
¨He cannot hear；〃 the major said。 ¨And you are quite sure that you love a girl？〃
¨I am sure。〃
¨And；〃 the major looked at him quickly； ˉthat you are not corrupt？〃
¨I donˇt know what you mean； corrupt。〃
¨All right；〃 the major said。 ¨You neednˇt be superior。〃
Pinin looked at the floor。 The major looked at his brown face； down and up him； and at his hands。 Then he went on； not smiling。 ¨And you really donˇt want〃 the major paused。 Pinin looked at the floor。 ¨That your great desire isnˇt really〃 Pinin looked at the floor。 The major leaned his head back on the rucksack and smiled。 He was really relieved： life in the army was too complicated。 ¨Youˇre a good boy；〃 he said。 ¨Youˇre a good boy； Pinin。 But donˇt be superior and be careful someone else doesnˇt come along and take you。〃
Pinin stood still beside the bunk。
¨Donˇt be afraid；〃 the major said。 His hands were folded on the blankets。 ¨I wonˇt touch you。 You can go back to your platoon if you like。 But you had better stay on as my servant。 Youˇve less chance of being killed。〃
¨Do you want anything of me； Signor Maggiore？〃
¨No；〃 the major said。 ¨Go on and get on with whatever you were doing。 Leave the door open when you go out。〃 Pinin went out； leaving the door open。 The adjutant looked up at him as he walked awkwardly across the room and out of the door。 Pinin was flushed and moved differently than he had moved when he brought in the wood for the fire。 The adjutant looked after him and smiled。 Pinin came in with more wood for the stove。 The major； lying on his bunk； looking at his cloth…covered helmet and his snow…glasses that hung from a nail on the wall； heard him walk across the floor。 The little devil； he thought； I wonder if he lied to me。
TEN INDIANS
AFTER one Fourth of July； Nick； driving home late from town in the big wagon with Joe Garner and his family； passed nine drunken Indians along the road。 He remembered there were nine because Joe Garner； driving along in the dusk； pulled up the horses； jumped down into the road； and dragged an Indian out of the wheel rut。 The Indian had been asleep； face down in the sand。 Joe dragged him into the bushes and got back up on the wagon…box。
¨That makes nine of them；〃 Joe said； ¨just between here and the edge of town。〃
¨Them Indians；〃 said Mrs。 Garner。
Nick was on the back seat with the two Garner boys。 He was looking out from the back seat to see the Indian where Joe had dragged him alongside of the road。
¨Was it Billy Tableshaw？〃 Carl asked。
¨No。〃
¨His pants looked mighty like Billy。〃
¨All Indians wear the same kind of pants。〃
¨I didnˇt see him at all；〃 Frank said。 ¨Pa was down into the road and back up again before I seen a thing。 I thought he was killing a snake。〃
¨Plenty of Indiansˇll kill snakes tonight； I guess；〃 Joe Garner said。
¨Them Indians；〃 said Mrs。 Garner。
They drove along。 The road turned off from the main highway and went up into the hills。 It was hard pulling for the horses and the boys got down and walked。 The road was sandy。 Nick looked back from the top of the hill by the schoolhouse。 He saw the lights of Petoskey and； off across Little Traverse Bay； the lights of Harbor Springs。 They climbed back into the wagon again。
¨They ought to put some gravel on that stretch；〃 Joe Garner said。 The wagon went along the road through the woods。 Joe and Mrs。 Garner sat close together on the front seat。 Nick sat between the two boys。 The road came out into a clearing。
¨Right here was where Pa ran over the skunk。〃
¨It was further on。〃
¨It donˇt make no difference where it was；〃 Joe said without turning his head。 ¨One place is just as good as another to run over a skunk。〃
¨I saw two skunks last night；〃 Nick said。
¨Where？〃
¨Down by the lake。 They were looking for dead fish along the beach。〃
¨They were coons probably；〃 Carl said。
¨They were skunks。 I guess I know skunks。〃
¨You ought to；〃 Carl said。 ¨You got an Indian girl。〃
¨Stop talking that way； Carl；〃 said Mrs。 Garner。
¨Well； they smell about the same。〃
Joe Garner laughed。
¨You stop laughing； Joe；〃 Mrs。 Garner said。 ¨I wonˇt have Carl talk that way。〃
¨Have you got an Indian girl； Nickie？〃 Joe asked。
¨No。〃
¨He has too； Pa；〃 Frank said。 ¨Prudence Mitchellˇs his girl。〃
¨Sheˇs not。〃
¨He goes to see her every day。〃
¨I donˇt。〃 Nick； sitting between the two boys in the dark； felt hollow and happy inside himself to be teased about Prudence Mitchell。 ¨She ainˇt my girl；〃 he said。
¨Listen to him；〃 said Carl。 ¨I see them together every day。〃
¨Carl canˇt get a girl；〃 his mother said； ¨not even a squaw。〃
Carl was quiet。
¨Carl ainˇt no good with girls；〃 Frank said。
¨You shut up。〃
¨Youˇre all right； Carl；〃 Joe Garner said。 ¨Girls never got a man anywhere。 Look at your pa。〃
¨Yes； thatˇs what you would say。〃 Mrs。 Garner moved close to Joe as the wagon jolted。 ¨Well； you had plenty of girls in your time。〃
¨Iˇll bet pa wouldnˇt ever have had a squaw for a girl。〃
¨Donˇt you think it；〃 Joe said。 ¨You better watch out to keep Prudie； Nick。〃
His wife whispered to him and Joe laughed。
¨What you laughing at？〃 asked Frank。
¨Donˇt you say it； Garner；〃 his wife warned。 Joe laughed again。
¨Nickie can have Prudence；〃 Joe Garner said。 ¨I got a good girl。〃
¨Thatˇs the way to talk；〃 Mrs。 Garner said。
The horses were pulling heavily in the sand。 Joe reached out in the dark with the whip。
¨Come on； pull into it。 Youˇll have to pull harder than this tomorrow。〃
They trotted down the long hill； the wagon jolting。 At the farmhouse everybody got down。 Mrs。 Garner unlocked the door； went inside； and came out with a lamp in her hand。 Carl and Nick unloaded the things from the back of the wagon。 Frank sat on the front seat to drive to the barn and put up the horses。 Nick went up the steps and opened the kitchen door。 Mrs。 Garner was building a fire in the stove。 She turned from pouring kerosene on the wood。
¨Good…bye； Mrs。 Garner；〃 Nick said。 ¨Thanks for taking me。〃
¨Oh shucks； Nickie。〃
¨I had a wonderful time。〃
¨We like to have you。 Wonˇt you stay and eat some supper？〃
¨I better go。 I think Dad probably waited for me。〃
¨Well； get along then。 Send Carl up to the house； will you？〃
¨All right。〃
¨Good night； Nickie！〃
¨Good night； Mrs。 Garner。〃
Nick went out the farmyard and down to the barn。 Joe and Frank were milking。
¨Good night；〃 Nick said。 ¨I had a swell time。〃
¨Good night； Nick；〃 Joe Garner called。 ¨Arenˇt you going to stay and eat？〃
¨No； I canˇt。 Will you tell Carl his mother wants him？〃
¨All right。 Good night； Nickie。〃
Nick walked barefooted along the path through the meadow below the barn。 The path was smooth and the dew was cool on his bare feet。 He climbed a fence at the end of the meadow； went down through a ravine； his feet wet in the swamp mud； and then climbed up through the dry beech woods until he saw the lights of the cottage。 He climbed over the fence and walked around to the front porch。 Through the window he saw his father sitting by the table； reading in the light from the big lamp。 Nick opened the door and went in。
¨Well； Nickie；〃 his father said； ¨was it a good day？〃
¨I had a swell time； Dad。 It was a swell Fourth of July。〃
¨Are you hungry？〃
¨You bet。〃
¨What did you do with your shoes？〃
¨I left them in the wagon at Garnerˇs。〃
¨Come on out to the kitchen。〃
Nickˇs father went ahead with the lamp。 He stopped and lifted the lid of the ice…box。 Nick went on into the kitchen。 His father brought in a piece of cold chicken on a plate and a pitcher of milk and put them on the table before Nick。 He put down the lamp。
¨Thereˇs some pie too；〃 he said。 ¨Will that hold you？〃
¨Itˇs grand。〃
His father sat down in a chair beside the oilcloth…covered table。 He made a big shadow on the kitchen wall。
¨Who won the ball game？〃
¨Petoskey。 Five to three。〃
His father sat watching him eat and filled his glass from the milk…pitcher。 Nick drank and wiped his mouth on his napkin。 His father reached over to the shelf for the pie。 He cut Nick a big piece。 It was huckleberry pie。
¨What did you do； Dad？〃
¨I went out fishing in the morning。�