He threw a scornful glance upon me, and in a contemptuous tone he said to Kleki-Petrah: “Your teachings sound well, but they do not often agree with what I see. Christians deceive and rob the Indians. Here is a young pale-face with a brave heart, open face, honorable eyes, and when I ask what he does here he tells me he has come to steal our land. The faces of the white men are good and bad, but inside they are all alike.”
To be honest, his words filled me with shame. Could I well be proud of my share in this matter—I, a Catholic, who had been taught so early: “Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s goods”? I blushed for my race and for myself before this fine savage; and before I could rally enough even to try to reply, the head engineer, who had been watching us through a hole in the tent, came forth to meet us, and my thoughts were diverted by what then took place.
CHAPTER V.
THE SPEECH OF THE APACHE CHIEF.
The first question the head engineer asked as we came up, although he was surprised to see the Indians with us, was what had become of the bear.
Rattler instantly replied: “We’ve shot him, and we’ll have bear-paws for dinner, and bear-steak to-night for supper.”
Our three guests looked at me as if to see whether I would let this pass, and I said: “I claim to have stabbed the bear. Here are three witnesses who have corroborated my statement; but we’ll wait till Hawkins, Stone, and Parker come, and they will give their opinion, by which we will be guided. Till then the bear must lie untouched.”
“Not much will I leave it to the scouts,” growled Rattler. “I’ll go with my men and cut up the bear, and whoever tries to hinder us will be driven off with a dozen shots in his body.”
“Hold on, Mr. Rattler,” said I. “I’m not as much afraid of your shots as you were of the bear. You won’t drive me up a tree with your threats. I recommend you to bury your dead comrade; I would not leave him lying thus.”
“Is some one dead?” asked Bancroft, startled.