"I shall not; I am your master, and shall do as I please with you."
"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."