Jesse's inclination was to give voice to his passions--to hurl invective at his unseen captors, to taunt them, to goad them, but not to plead. Jesse James had pleaded with no man in his eventful life. It was not in his nature to do so, nor would he begin now. Yet he did not quite understand what manner of torture they had inflicted upon him to put him in such pain. But it was a matter of only a moment or so before he was made acquainted with his exact situation. The great desperado had been subjected to the humiliation of being bound hand and foot. And more than that, his manacled hands had been triced up to a stake protruding from the ground some eighteen inches, and the feet had been treated similarly. His position was such that the weight of his body was a constant strain upon the thongs that bound him, a strain that extended through his entire body. Jesse swore a terrible oath. "I hope I killed the cursed savage," he gritted. But his fond hopes were dashed almost at the moment of the utterance of them. The flap was slowly pulled aside and an evil, ghastly face peered in--a face so torn and mutilated that Jesse observed nothing familiar in it. He stared at it without speaking. All at once he noticed that an ear was missing from the place where it should have been. Then Jesse understood. The face was that of his late antagonist, Great Bear. The desperado laughed mockingly. Great Bear jerked aside the flap so viciously that he tore it from its fastenings, allowing it to drop slowly from his lingering grasp as he surveyed his captive with malignant eyes. "Welcome to our home, old scarred-face," jeered Jesse. Great Bear made no reply, standing with head erect, searching keenly for some sign of fear or weakening in the face of his captive. After a time, the redskin squatted on the turf and with chin in hands sat holding the outlaw with a steady gaze. For an hour he sat thus, Jesse glaring back at him with menacing, challenging eyes. "Ugh! Paleface brave man," he grunted. "Ugh! Big Chief a dirty cutthroat," retorted Jesse. "Huh!" said Great Bear. "I can lick you with one arm tied behind my back, old pizen snake," leered the desperado. "Let me up and I'll show you." Great Bear rose, and stepping to the door gave a terse, guttural command to some one without. Returning to the wigwam, he squatted down at the great bandit's feet again and resumed his intent gaze into the other's face. "Well," questioned Jesse, "Am I so purty that you can't keep your eyes off'n me? Think you'll know me when you see me again? I'd know you among a million with that face. I certainly did lam it to you, didn't I? I ought to have killed you when I had the chance up the tree there, but I hated to take an unfair advantage, even of such an old murderer as you are." While the outlaw was now suffering terrible tortures from his strained position, he gave no sign to the waiting Indian chief.