“What do you say, brothers?” he asked. “Shall a thief who has twice stolen without cause be freed before he has been punished?”
“Kindness is greater than the law in this case,” said Kaw, “and Sandy has shown kindness to us all by bringing this news. It may be that the thief will be honest and steal no more.”
“Free him! Free him!” echoed the coyotes.
At this Cho-gay, followed by Sandy, went up to the little cave of the imprisoned fox.
“Will you remember the law and steal no more if I set you free?” asked Cho-gay of his prisoner.
“Yes, I steal no more,” was the reply.
As Sandy and his brother trotted down the trail, Fearful and the remainder of his followers (for most of them had slipped away, one by one, to tell the great news to their friends) vanished into the sagebrush.
When Cho-gay had returned to the rock in front of the cave, Kaw asked, “What will you do about the coming of Kil-fang and his pack? The moon will be full again in fewer than a dozen days.”
“I shall kill him and all his pack,” said Cho-gay. “I will make many arrows and an extra bow, and I will have food and water in my cave to last until the wolves are all dead. I shall have big rocks at the door of my cave and I’ll shoot through the rocks, and cut with the knife all who try to enter.”