"Wait, Wichita," he said. "Before we go in can't you give me some hope for the future? I'm willing to wait. Don't you think that some day you might care for me a little?"
The girl walked on, followed by the man. "I care for you a great deal, Ad," Shoz-Dijiji heard her say in a low voice just before the two passed out of his hearing; "but I can never care for you in the way you wish." That, Shoz-Dijiji did not hear.
"You love someone else?" he asked. In the darkness he did not see the hot flush that overspread her face as she replied. "I am afraid so," she said.
"Afraid so! What do you mean?"
"It is something that I cannot tell you, Ad. It hurts me to talk about it."
"Does he know that you love him?"
"No."
"Is it anyone I know?"
"Please, Ad, I don't like to talk about it."
Lieutenant Samuel Adams King walked on in silence at the girl's side until they reached Mrs. Cullis' door. "I'm going to wait--and hope, Chita," he said just before they entered the house.
Captain Cullis had not returned, and the three sat and chatted for a few minutes; but it was evident to Margaret Cullis that something had occurred to dash the spirits of her young guests, nor was she at a loss to guess the truth. Being very fond of them both; believing that they were eminently suited to one another, and, above all, being a natural born match maker, Margaret Cullis was determined to leave no stone unturned that might tend toward a happy consummation of her hopes.
"You know that Chita is leaving us in the morning?" she asked King, by way of inaugurating her campaign.
"Why, no," he exclaimed, "she did not tell me."
"I should have told you before you left," said the girl. "I wouldn't go without saying good-bye, you know."
"I should hope not," said King.
"She really should not take that long ride alone," volunteered Mrs. Cullis.
"It is nothing," exclaimed Wichita. "I've been riding alone ever since I can recall."
"Of course she shouldn't," said King. "It's not safe. I'll get leave to ride home with you. May I?"
"I'd love to have you, but really it's not necessary."
"L think it is," said King. "I'll go over to headquarters now and arrange it. I think there'll be no objections raised."
"I'm leaving pretty early," warned Wichita. "What time?"
"Five o'clock."
"I'll be here!"
Four - GIAN-NAH-TAH RELENTS
I CARE for you a great deal, Ad!" Shoz-Dijiji heard these words and recognized the voice of the girl who had spurned his love. N ow he recognized her companion also.
Wounded pride, racial hatred, the green eyed monster, jealousy, clamored at the gates of his self-restraint, sought to tear down the barriers and loose the savage warrior upon the authors of his misery. His hand crept to the hunting knife at his hip, the only weapon that he carried; , but Shoz-Dijiji was master of his own will; and the two passed on, out of his sight, innocent of any faintest consciousness that they had paused within the shadow of the Apache Devil.
A half hour later a tall, straight figure loomed suddenly before the sentry at Headquarters. The cavalryman, dismounted, snapped his carbine to port as he challenged: "Halt! Who is there?"
"I have come to talk with Nan-tan-des-la-par-en," said Shoz-Dijiji in Apache.
"Hell!" muttered the sentry, "if it ain't a damned Siwash," and shouted for the corporal of the guard. "Stay where you are, John," he cautioned the Indian, "until the corporal comes, or I'll have to make a good Indian of you."
"No sabe," said Shoz-Dijiji.
"You'd better savvy," warned the soldier.
The corporal of the guard appeared suddenly out of the darkness. "Wot the hell now?" he demanded. "Who the hell's this ?"
"It's a God damn Siwash."
"How the hell did he get inside the lines?"
"How the hell should I know? Here he is, and he don't savvy United States."
The corporal addressed Shoz-Dijiji. "Wot the hell you want here, John ?" he demanded.
Again the Apache replied in his own tongue. "Try Mex on him," suggested the sentry.
"Some of 'em savvy that lingo all right."
In broken, badly broken, Spanish the corporal of the guard repeated his questions.
"No sabe," lied Shoz-Dijiji again.
"Hadn't you better shove him in the guard house?" suggested the sentry. "He aint got no business inside the post at night."
"I think he wants to talk to the Old Man--he keeps sayin' that fool Siwash name they got for Crook. You hold him here while I goes and reports to the O.D. And say, if he ain't good don't forget that it costs Uncle Sam less to bury a Injun than to feed him."
It chanced that the Officer of the Day was one of the few white men in the southwest who understood even a little of the language of the Apaches, and when he returned with the corporal he asked Shoz-Dijiji what he wanted.
"I have a message for Nan-tan-des-la-par-en!!' replied the Apache.
"You may give it to me!"! said the officer. "I will tell General Crook."
"My message is for General Crook! not for you," replied Shoz-Dijiji.
"General Crook will be angry if you bother him now with some matter that is not important. You had better tell me."
"It is important," replied Shoz-Dijiji.
"Come with me," directed the officer, and led the way into the headquarters building.
"Please inform General Crook," he said to the orderly in the outer office, "that Captain Crawford has an Apache here who says that he brings an important message for the General."
A moment later Shoz-Dijiji and Captain Crawford stepped into General Crook's presence. Captain Cullis was sitting at one end of the table behind which Crook sat, while Lieutenant King stood facing the commanding officer from whom he had just requested leave to escort Wichita Billings to her home.
"Just a moment King," said Crook. "You needn't leave.
"Well, Crawford," turning to the Officer of the Day, "what does this man want?"
"He says that he has an important message for you, sir. He refuses to deliver it to anyone else; neither and as he apparently speaks nor understands English I came with him to interpret, if you wish, sir."
"Very good! Tell him that I say you are to interpret his message. Ask him who he is and what he wants."
Crawford repeated Crook's words to Shoz-Dijiji.
"Tell Nan-tan-des-la-par-en that I am Shoz-Dijiji, the son of Geronimo. I have come to tell him that my father has left the reservation."
Shoz-Dijiji saw in the faces of the men about him the effect of his words. To announce that Geronimo had gone out again was like casting a bomb into a peace meeting.
"Ask him where Geronimo has gone and how many warriors are with him," snapped Crook.
"Geronimo has not gone on the war trail," replied Shoz- Dijiji after Crawford had put the question to him, waiting always for the interpretation of Crook's words though he understood them perfectly in English. "There are no warriors with Geronimo other than his son. He has taken his wife with him and his small children. He wishes only to go away and live in peace. He cannot live in peace with the white-eyed men. He does not wish to fight the white-eyed soldiers any more."
"Where has he gone?" asked Crook again.
"He has gone toward Sonora," lied Shoz-Dijiji, that being the opposite of the direction taken by Geronimo; but Shoz- Dijiji was working with the cunning of an Apache. He knew well that Geronimo's absence from the reservation might well come to the attention of the authorities on the morrow; and he hoped that by announcing it himself and explaining that it was not the result of warlike intentions they might pass it over and let the War Chief live where he wished, but if not then it would give Geronimo time to make good his escape if the troops were sent upon a wild goose chase toward Sonora, while it would also allow Shoz-Dijiji ample time to overhaul his father and report the facts. Furthermore, by bringing the message himself and by assuming ignorance of English, he was in a position where he might possibly learn the plans of the white-eyed men concerning Geronimo. All-in-all, Shoz-Dijiji felt that his strategy was not without merit. Crook sat in silence for a moment, tugging on his great beard. Presently he turned to Captain Cullis. "Hold yourself in readiness to march at daylight, Cullis, with all the available men of your troop. Proceed by the most direct route to Apache Pass and try to pick up the trail. Bring Geronimo back, alive if you can. If he resists, kill him. "Crawford, I shall have you relieved immediately. You also will march at dawn. Go directly south. You will each send out detachments to the east and west. Keep in touch with one another. Whatever else you do, bring back Geronimo!"