"The young of the eagle always follows the powerful flight of its parent," he replied; "the warriors will part to the right and left to grant him a passage." At a silent sign from Black-deer there was a movement in the crowd, which fell back and left a passage through the centre; Blue-fox then thrust his fingers in his mouth, and imitated thrice the call of the hawk. In a few minutes a similar but very faint cry answered him. The Chief renewed his summons, and this time the answer was shriller and more distinct. For the third time the Apache repeated his signal, which was answered close at hand; the rapid gallop of a horse became audible, and almost immediately an Indian warrior dashed up at full speed. This warrior crossed the entire square without evidencing the slightest surprise. He stopped short at the foot of the stake, dismounted, and placed himself by the side of Blue-fox, to whom he merely said-- "Here I am." This warrior was the son of the Apache Chief, a tall and nobly-built lad of sixteen to seventeen. His features were handsome, his glance was haughty, his demeanour simple, and noble without boasting. "This boy is my son," Blue-fox said to the Comanche Chiefs. "Good!" they replied, bowing courteously. "Does my son consent to remain as a hostage in the place of his father?" Black-deer asked him. The young man bowed his head in assent. "My son knows that if his father does not come to liberate his pledge, he will die in his place?" A smile of contempt played round the boy's lips. "I know it," he said, "And my son accepts?" "I do." "Good!" the Chief continued, "Let my son look." He then went up to the stake and fastened to it the feather and lock of hair Blue-fox had given him. "This feather and this hair will remain here until the man to whom they belong returns to claim them," he said. The Apache Chief answered in his turn-- "I swear on my totem to come and redeem them at the appointed time." "Wah! My brother is free," Black-deer continued; "here is the feather of a Chief; it will serve him as a recognition if the warriors of my nation were to meet him. Still, my brother will remember that he is forbidden communicating in any way with the braves of his nation ambushed round the village." "Blue-fox will remember it." After uttering these few words without even exchanging a look with his son, who stood motionless by his side, the Chief took the feather Black-deer offered him, leaped on the horse which had brought the young man, and started at a gallop, not looking back once. When he had disappeared in the darkness, the Chiefs went up to the boy, bound him securely, and confined him in the Medicine Lodge under the guardianship of several warriors. "Now," said Black-deer, "for the others." And mounting his horse in his turn, he left the village. CHAPTER XV. THE AMBUSCADE.