The scout said, "If I'm asked, I'll say I told you 'twas a fool thing to do."
"Say what you please," the lieutenant said. "I know what I'm doing."
The soldiers followed the scout, who in turn followed the back trail of the horses. When they found the place where the horses had been loosed, the lieutenant thought, they would also find helpless Apaches on foot.
When the soldiers were out of sight, Geronimo signaled his men forward.
They drank at the water hole. Then they rummaged hastily through the packs and tents and took all the rifles and ammunition they could find. Minutes later, each warrior was mounted on a mule. Geronimo led them into rough and rocky ground where mules could travel but horses could not.
Long before the young lieutenant brought his men back to their camp, every Apache was safe.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
A Gallant Soldier
Sitting in the shade of some pines on the rim of a lofty mountain, Geronimo stared down at Mexico's Bavispe River. From the mountain top the river looked like a silver ribbon that followed the curves of the valley and gave back the sparkle of the sun.