oop to falsification, or at least to concealment.

"The Apaches are just below," he mumbled. "Not one of you women must
venture out. I will see to everything. Be good now."

She gave his sleeve a little twitch, smiled confidingly in his face, and
sat down to do some much-needed mending.

Having posted Sweeny at the foot of the ladders, with instructions to let
none of the women descend, Thurstane hastened back to the exterior wall,
drawn by a horrible fascination. With his field-glass he could distinguish
every action of the tragedy which was being enacted on the plain. Pepita,
entirely stripped of her clothing, was already bound to the sapling which
stood by the side of the rivulet, and twenty or thirty of the Apaches were
dancing around her in a circle, each one approaching her in turn, howling
in her ears and spitting in her face. The young man had read and heard
much of the horrors of that torture-dance, which stamps the American
Indian as the most ferocious of savages; but be had not understood at all
how large a part insult plays in this ceremony of deliberate cruelty; and,
insulting a woman! he had not once dream'ed it. Now, when he saw it done,
his blood rushed into his head and he burst forth in choked incoherent
curses.

"I can't stand this," he shouted, advancing upon Coronado with clenched
fists. "We must charge."

The Mexican shook his head in a sickly, scared way, and pointed to the
left. There was a covering party of fifty or sixty warriors; it was not
more than a quarter of a mile from the eastern end of the enclosure; it
was in position to charge either upon that, or upon the flank of any
rescuing sally.

"We can do it," insisted the lieutenant, who felt as if he could fight
twenty men.

"We can't," replied Coronado. "I won't go, and my men shan't go."

Thurstane thought of Clara, covered his face with his hands, and sobbed
aloud. Texas Smith stared at him with a kind of contemptuous pity, and
offered such consolation as it was in his nature to give.

"Capm, when they've got through this job they'll travel."

The hideous prelude continued for half an hour. The Apaches in the dance
were relieved by their comrades in the covering party, who came one by one
to take their turns in the round of prancing, hooting, and spitting. Then
came a few minutes of rest; then insult was followed by outrage.

The girl was loosed from the sapling and lifted until her head was even
with the lower branches, thre