“You have heard that you were doomed to die, Rattler,” I said gently. “There is no way out of that; die you must, but—”
“Get out, you dog, get out!” he shrieked, trying to spit upon me, but failing because he could not move his head.
“You must die,” I continued unmoved, “but how depends upon yourself. You are to be tortured; that means long, long agony, through all this day, and perhaps to-morrow. It is horrible to think of, and I want you to escape it. At my request Intschu-Tschuna has declared that you shall die quickly if you will fulfil the condition he has made.”
I waited for him to ask me what the condition was, but instead of doing so he poured out a storm of abuse upon me which could not be repeated. As soon as I could speak I said: “The condition is that you ask my pardon.”
“Your pardon! I’d bite my tongue out first, and suffer all the tortures this red beast can give me.”
“Remember, I did not make the condition, Rattler; it was Intschu-Tschuna who decided thus, for I don’t care about your apology. Consider what awful agony lies before you, and that you can escape it all by saying the little word ‘Pardon.’”
“Never, never! Get out, I tell you! I never want to see your vile face again. Go, and don’t bother me.”
“If I go now, it will be too late to call me back. Be sensible, and speak the one little word, I beg you.”
“No, I tell you, no. Get out! Oh, if I weren’t tied I’d show you the way!”
“As you please; but if you call me back I can’t come. Have you any relatives I can send a message to? Any wish that I can carry out?”
“Only that you may follow me soon; nothing else.”
“Then I am helpless, and can do no more except beg you, as a Christian, not to die in your sins. Ask God’s pardon, if not mine; think of your crimes, and of the judgment that lies before you.”
What his reply to this was I cannot repeat; his words chilled me with horror.
Intschu-Tschuna took my hand and led me away, saying: “My young white brother sees that this murderer does not deserve his intercession. He was born a Christian, and you call us heathen; but do you think a red brave would speak such words?”
I did not answer, for what could I say? Rattler’s conduct was inexplicable to me; he had been so cowardly, and had shown such abject terror at the very mention of torture, and now he acted as though all the pains of the world were absolutely nothing.