what could I do?

"Then I had a thought. 'Let him live, Red Feather,' I said, 'but strip
him of all his ill-gotten property. Turn him loose in the world
without a penny; it'll be punishment enough. You can't bring back your
daughter by killing him; but you can make him give up all he has in
return for stealing the money from your tribe.'

"I don't know why I thought of that, and I don't know why it made
instant appeal to Red Feather's mind. I saw at once that he was going
to consent. All he said was, 'Talk to him--' But I knew what he meant.

"So I crossed the room and looked down at the man. 'Mr. Gledware,' I
said, 'are you willing to give up all your possessions in order to save
your life?'

"'Oh, yes,' he gasped. 'A thousand times, yes! God bless you, Lahoma!'

"'You will deed all your property away from you? And surrender all
that you own, money, bonds, stocks and so forth?'

"'My God, yes, yes!' he wailed. 'Save me--only save me, Lahoma!'

"I looked at Red Feather. 'Shall he make it all over to you?'

"Red Feather shook his head. 'Me not want his money. Let him give all
to Red Flower, the daughter him not see since he stole our money and
desert his wife.'

"'Yes, yes, yes,' moaned Mr. Gledware, 'I'll give everything to
her--I'll make over everything to her in the morning, so help me
God--if you spare my life, she shall have everything.'

"All this time Red Feather had never moved his knee from the man's
breast. Now he rose and pointed toward the East. 'The morning will
come,' he said solemnly. 'If you keep your word--well! If you try
fool Red Feather--if you keep back one piece of money, one clod of
earth--' He wheeled about so suddenly with his drawn knife that I
thought he was plunging it into the man's heart. It shot down like
lightning, but stopped short just before the edge of the blade touched
the miserable coward.

"Mr. Gledware sobbed and gasped and choked, swearing that he would keep
his word, and assuring us that, if he broke it, death would be too good
for him. But what he will do when he thinks him-self safe--that's
another thing! I know his life is as secure as mine, if he is true to
his promise. But if he breaks it--well, we know Red Feather! Do you
think Mr. Gledware will keep his word? Or will he wait to see whether
or not Red Kimball rids him of the Indian? I believe he'll be afraid to
wait. But as soon as he's calm, it will be like death for him to give
up all