The spokesman paused as if he was waiting for Carson to respond to his implied question. As the hunter remained silent, the Indian herald continued his appeal. “Already we have children that are fatherless because the white men have killed our braves. You can hear the wailing of the squaws whose husbands and sons you have slain. Is not this enough punishment for the white men to visit upon us? We shall no longer try to shield those who fled to us for refuge.” “Will you give us every one?” demanded Kit Carson abruptly. “Every one,” replied the Indian. “Then tell them to come out to us now.” The Indian turned back toward the village and then, abruptly halting, once more faced the scout. “And will my white brother promise that no harm shall befall us? That he will take the bad Indians only? Will he promise that they shall be dealt with justly, and that no harm shall come to them on their way back to the mission?” “I make no promises except to tell you that every man will be treated as he deserves.” “That’s just the very thing they don’t want,” muttered Jack, who had been listening as he stood opposite Reuben. “If they got what they deserved there wouldn’t be many left in the village.” “I’m afraid there wouldn’t be very many left among us either,” suggested Reuben quietly. “What do you mean?” demanded Jack. “Why, I mean that if every man got what he deserved perhaps he would be worse off than he is now.” “I never got all that I deserved,” said Jack sharply. “I’ve seen a good many men who passed for more than they were worth and then again I’ve seen others who didn’t pass for what they were worth.” “Which is your class?” said Reuben, laughing. Throughout the conversation he had not turned away his gaze from the exciting events which were occurring before him. “It doesn’t make any difference which is my class,” retorted Jack. “All I say is that Indians are all in one class——” Jack stopped abruptly, for at that moment it was seen that the young squaw who had come from the village had now turned quickly toward the young Indian who had approached on horseback. Suddenly the mounted Indian darted ahead, his horse apparently breaking into its swiftest paces at its first leap forward. The action of the Indian girl, however, was most startling of all. As the young brave fled from the spot she grasped the tail of the horse he was riding, and, clinging tenaciously to it, she was partly dragged and partly helped forward as both fled from the spot. At the first sight of the unexpected happening the men with Carson laughed loudly. To them it was apparently a joke of some kind that was being enacted before them. In a moment, however, Kit Carson turned to Reuben and Jack and said: “Take your horses and follow that redskin. He’s trying to get away and he’s using the squaw as a shield. If he thinks that she is going to protect him, just show him how mistaken he is. Take after them and don’t come back until you get them both.”