“What have I done?” asked Dick.
“You haven’t the sense to see it, so I’ll tell you. The Indians might hesitate about killing Dr. Brady and Father Bleriot as long as we had one of their own people here. They’d be afraid that if they did commit such an act, we’d retaliate by taking the life of that Indian.”
He paused, clearing his throat.
“Now, by your colossal blunder, you have made the way easy for them. They can kill them with perfect impunity. Dick, how could you be so thoughtless. Your plan won’t work. You acted on impulse. I’m sure,” more kindly, “that if you’d paused to reason it all out in your mind, you’d never have taken that step.”
Dick had nothing to say. It did seem as if Sandy were right. It was an awful moment.
“Well,” said Sandy, “we might as well go to bed. There is nothing more that we can do now. Come on, Dick, let’s tumble in.”
The priest turned away quietly and left the room. They could hear the crunch of his footsteps outside. Toma and Sandy sat down and commenced pulling off their moccasins. But Dick did not stir. His hopeless, tragic eyes stared into the fire.
CHAPTER XXII
WHEN MOMENTS ARE ETERNITY
Sandy consulted his watch. His face was anxious. Little worried lines showed under his eyes and at the corners of his mouth.
“It’s eleven o’clock, Dick,” he announced. “One hour to go. If they aren’t here by twelve, they won’t come at all.”