"But if your son arrives?"
"Of what importance is that to you? You require a victim, do you not? Very well, that victim is before you, you may torture her at your pleasure. Why do you hesitate? Put me to death, I say."
"Your desire shall be satisfied," the Comanche replied in a melancholy tone. "Woman, prepare yourself."
She bowed her head upon her breast, and waited. Upon a signal from Eagle Head, two warriors seized the prisoner, and tied her to the stake round the waist.
Then the exercise of the knife began; this is what it consists of:—
Every warrior seizes his scalping knife by the point with the thumb and the first finger of his right hand, and launches it at the victim, so as to inflict only slight wounds.
Indians, in their punishments, endeavour to make the tortures continue as long as possible, and only give their enemy the coup de grâce when they have torn life from him by degrees, and, so to say, piecemeal.
The warriors launched their knives with such marvellous skill, that all of them just grazed the unfortunate woman, inflicting nothing more than scratches.
The blood, however, flowed, she closed her eyes, and, absorbed in herself, prayed fervently for the mortal stroke.
The warriors, to whom her body served as a target, grew warmer by degrees; curiosity, the desire of showing their skill, had taken in their minds the place of the pity they had at first felt. They applauded with loud shouts and laughter the prowess of the most adroit.