er of
the camp.

"Rita? Red Wolf!"

"I see him--he is coming to meet us, but he does not want us to think
so."

That was a correct guess.

The tall, hawk-nosed young warrior, who was now riding toward them, was
a perfect embodiment of Indian haughtiness, and even his sister was a
mere "squaw" in his eyes. As for Rita, she was not only a squaw but
also not even a full-blooded Apache, and was to be looked down upon
accordingly.

He was an Indian and a warrior, and would one day be a chief like his
father.

Still, he had so far unbent his usual cold dignity as to turn his horse
to meet that sisterly pair, if only to find out why they were in such a
hurry.

"What scare you?"

"We're not scared. We've found something--pale-face sign."

"Apache warriors do not ask squaws if there are pale-faces near them.
The chiefs know all; their camp was by the spring."

"Was it?" exclaimed Ni-ha-be. "We have found some of their talking
leaves. Rita must show them to father."

"Show them to me!"

"No. You are an Apache; you cannot hear what they say: Rita can--she
is white."

"Ugh! Show leaves, now!"

Ni-ha-be was a "squaw," but she was also something of a spoiled child,
and was less afraid of her brother than he may have imagined. Besides,
the well-known rule of the camp, or of any Indian camp, was in her
favor.

All "signs" were to be reported to the chief by the finder, and
Ni-ha-be would make her report to her father like a warrior.

Rita was wise enough to say nothing, and Red Wolf was compelled to
soften his tone a little. He even led the way to the spot near the
spring where the squaws of Many Bears were already putting up his
"lodge."

There was plenty of grass and water in that valley, and it had been
decided to rest the horses there for three days, before pushing on
deeper into the Apache country.

The proud old chief was not lowering his dignity to any such work as
lodge-pitching. He would have slept on the bare ground without a
blanket before he would have touched one pole with a finger.

That was "work for squaws," and all that could be expected of him was
that he should stand near and say "Ugh!" pleasantly, when things were
going to please him, and to say it in a different tone if they were not.

Ni-ha-be and Rita were favorites of the scarred and wrinkled warrior,
however, and when they rode up with Red Wolf, and the latter briefly
stated the facts of the case--all he knew of them--the