The inscrutable blue eyes of Geronimo regarded the
chief ofthe Ned-ni, but he did not speak.
Ishould think that the white-eyed men would prefer
death tothe shame of not being Apaches.
Nakay-do-klunni, said the lad, Shoz-Dijiji goes
upon thewar trail for the first time today.
After a short advance he would lie still for along
time.
It is the spirit ofCochise, he has returned and he
is trying to speak to us. Thus did Shoz-Dijiji, the Black Bear, fashion
histzi-daltai. The lad came and stood before the war chief. Ishould think that the
white-eyed men would prefer death tothe shame of not being Apaches.
At last he lay within a foot of one ofthe wagon
wheels and directly behind it.
The Mexicans, utterly surprised, had no
chance.
Go, therefore, this very night tothe high places
and pray to Usen.
There was a twinklein his blue eyes as he nodded to
them. Presently the leading wagon stopped and the others drew upabout it, but in no
regular formation.
Geronimo moved and the sand fell from hispainted
naked body as he rose noiselessly to his feet.
At a sign from Geronimo they crept forward to
surround thetrain. It was Shoz-Dijiji whohad intervened to save the war chiefs
life.
They wishto go with the great Geronimo tomorrow.
All night he has prayedin the high places. He wouldcome leaping down to battle when
the attack was made.
Keep a watch, Manuel, he directed one of his men,
for evennow he would not relax his vigilance.
Neither do I, he replied; but I do not know.
Nothing moved, there was nothing irregularwithin his range of vision.
Men of the Shis-Inday listen to Naliza, he
began.
The captain of the train scanned the landscape in
alldirections. With few preliminaries Shoz-Dijiji went to the point.
We have not seen an Indian or an Indian sign this
wholetrip.
Some daythere will be so many that we cannot kill
them all; thenwhat will become of the Apaches? Fora while after the boy became
silent the chief did not speak. It was Shoz-Dijiji whohad intervened to save the war
chiefs life. The captainraised his weapon and leveled it full at the back of
theIndian. There was no breeze;nothing moved and there was no sound.
A hundred miles behind them the ashesof the burned
wagon train still smouldered.
The men dozed, even Manuel, though he had not
meantto.