“Then you ask that they shall not die?”
“Do with them later what you will, but while we are with you nothing must happen to them.”
Again he considered a while in silence. Through the war-paint on his face we saw pass over it varying expressions of anger, hatred, and malice. I expected that the contest of words between us would be long, so wondered not a little when he said: “It shall be as you wish; yes, I will do more than that if you will fulfil the condition I will make.”
“What is the condition?”
“First I want to tell you that you need not think I fear your knife. If you stabbed me, you would be torn to shreds in a moment by my warriors. No matter how strong you are, you cannot fight two hundred foes. So I laugh at your threat to stab me. If I told you I would not do as you wish, you could do nothing to me. Nevertheless the Apache dogs shall not be tortured; I will even promise not to kill them if you will fight in a life-and-death combat for them.”
“With whom?”
“With one of my warriors, whom I will choose.”
“What weapons?”
“Only knives. If he kills you, the Apaches must also die; but if you kill him, they shall live.”
“And be free?”