"I tell you to leave me alone; I do not want your help," added Starcus fiercely. "You shan't hinder me, old fellow; this is for old times." And paying no heed to the sufferer, who struggled with pitiful awkwardness to keep him off, Starr ripped a piece from the lining of his coat, and began bandaging the bleeding arm. The Sioux still resisted, but while doing so showed a weakness rare in one of his race by fainting dead away. The youth made no effort to revive him until he had completed his hasty but rude swathing of the arm, which was badly shattered by a bullet. Then he flung some snow in the face of the fellow, who had already shown signs of coming to. Starcus looked around for a moment in a bewildered way, and then fixed his gaze on the wounded member, now bound so that the flow of blood was stopped. Then he turned his dark eyes on the face of the youth bending over him, with an indescribable expression, and said in a low voice: "I tried my best to kill you, Warren." "But you didn't; and I am unharmed, and am your friend." "And why are you my friend? I do not deserve it," continued the Sioux, with his black eyes still centred on the face of the athletic youth. "If you and I had what we deserved where would we be? Give it no further thought." Starcus now held his peace for a full minute, during which he never once removed his gaze from the countenance of the good Samaritan. Strange thoughts must have passed through his brain. When he spoke it was in a voice as gentle as a girl's. "Can you forgive me for what I have done?" "With my whole heart." "But I tried my best to kill you." "Are you sorry?" "Yes, sorry as I can be." "Then I repeat, I forgive you; but are you able to rise to your feet?" "Yes; I pretended I was not, so as to bring you closer to me. Had not my arm been hurt I would have shot you." "I am not sure of that," replied Warren, with a curious smile; "I suspected it, and was on my guard. At the first move on your part I would have fired. I was not sure even that you were hurt at all until I saw blood on the snow. But it will not do for you to stay here. Let me help you to your feet." Starcus proved that the rest of his limbs were uninjured by coming as nimbly as an acrobat to an upright posture. "You have done all you can for me, and I thank you; now do not wait any longer." "Why not?" asked Warren, suspecting his meaning, but desirous of testing him a little further. "Look toward the ridge," was the significant reply. The inaction of the other Sioux, as has been intimated, was due to their belief that Starcus was master of the situation. Even when they saw him pitch from the back of his pony they must have thought it a part of the strategy designed to lure the young man to his death. But the sight of the youth bending over the prostrate figure of their comrade told the truth. Starcus had been wounded, and was at the mercy of his conqueror.