"Rita," said Ni-ha-be, while they were dipping their water-gourds in the river, "he is as handsome as an Apache."
"He is not nearly so good-looking as Send Warning. He is a mere boy."
"Can he see to talk with the talking leaves? His eyes are very good."
"I don't know; I will find out. Send Warning is a wise man--I am sure he is. They will talk to him. He is old, and the snow is on his head."
"Father says the snow is bad on a head sometimes. Every thing dies under it. Head good for nothing."
The two girls were getting up a good deal of partiality concerning their white friends and visitors, but they both stood gravely and silently enough before Red Wolf and the Knotted Cord when they brought them the water.
"Young squaws thank you for help," said Red Wolf. "Both very glad. Very young. Very foolish. Daughters of great chief himself."
Steve almost forgot Murray's caution, for he frankly held out his hand, saying,
"I'm glad Murray and I were on hand to help them. They're too nice to be killed. Glad to see them both well."
Mother Dolores was looking on, and was deeply scandalized by the terrible boldness of Ni-ha-be, for that young lady actually took the hand Steve held out and shook it, for all the world as if she had been a brave. Such a thing was unheard of, and what made it worse was the fact that Rita instantly followed her sister's example.
Red Wolf hardly knew what to say, but he was pretty well used to seeing Ni-ha-be have her own way. He was pleased that they had stopped short of so grave an offence as speaking.
"Rita will go. She will bring the talking leaves by-and-by. Red Wolf has a question to ask of his brother. Ni-ha-be go too."
Steve would have been glad of a longer call upon the daughters of the great chief, but they quietly walked away, as became them, not even laughing until they were at some distance.
Then it was Ni-ha-be who laughed, for Rita was thinking about the talking leaves, and wishing with all her heart that she could manage to ask some questions of her own concerning them.
"If he could not answer me, I am sure Send Warning could. He is old, and he is wise, and I know he is good."
The trees to which Bill and his two mates had been tied by the Lipans were so situated that all that they needed was to turn their heads in order to have a good view of what was doing on the plain to the westward. They saw their captors ride out, and heard their whoops and yells of self-confidence and defiance.