something
more on his mind, and was about to open his mouth, only waiting for the
music to stop. He was farther prevented by a sign to his father and a
word in Apache from Red Wolf.

"Listen!" exclaimed Many Bears. "Send Warning see ponies? See all
presents?"

"Yes, I see them."

"All mine now. Give all to Red Wolf. Young brave want Rita. Give all
ponies for her. All presents. All except gun. Great chief keep them.
What does Send Warning say?"

"Not want pony. Not want anything. Want daughter. Keep her."

"Red Wolf is young. Come again by-and-by. Bring more pony."

"Listen," said Murray, in his turn. "I tell you a big truth. Rita is
my own daughter. When you burn ranch in Mexico, many summers ago, burn
mine, take horses, cattle, mules, take away little girl, all that was
mine. Got little girl back now. Apaches all good friends of mine."

"Send Warning not come back to lodge?"

"Not now. Go to my own people for a while. Show them my daughter.
Say found her again."

"Ugh! Send Warning is a wise man. Cunning chief. Throw dust in the
eyes of the Apaches."

It was plain that the chief was troubled in his mind. He hardly knew
whether to be angry or not, but there was no reasonable objection to
Murray's doing as he pleased with his own daughter, after she had cost
him so many ponies.

Murray spoke again.

"Send Warning say what great chief do. Let Ni-ha-be come with Rita to
pale-face lodges. Stay awhile. Learn to hear talking leaves. Then
come back to her friends. What say?"

The chief pondered a moment, but Ni-ha-be had heard and understood, and
a scared look arose in her face.

"Rita! Rita! You are going away? You will not be an Apache girl any
more?"

"Oh, Ni-ha-be, come with me!"

Their arms were around each other, and they were both weeping, but
Ni-ha-be's mind was made up instantly.

"No. You are born white. You will go with your father. I am an
Apache, and I will go with my father."

Many Bears was listening.

"Send Warning hear what young squaw say? All Apaches say good. She
will stay with her own people."

Ni-ha-be consented, nevertheless, to remain with Rita at the post
head-quarters as long as her friends were camped close by.

Murray and Steve were anxious to begin their return to civilization,
but it would be several days before a "train" would go with an escort,
and they did not care to run any farther risks.

So the "farewell" was spread over s