“Don’t they know that the Apaches have gone?”
“No. When the Comanches stole around to the rear, my braves quietly went out the front door, and were in the grove before Wild Bill could place watchers at each side of the castle.”
“I see. Hickok would not have counted on such a move on the part of the enemy, and so failed to take precautions against a sudden evacuation of the castle. Well, when the Yelpers return to their home, if they do return without an understanding between me and Wild Bill, they will find Black Wing and your braves in possession of the cliff. Then what?”
“Black Wing will again urge the Comanches to sign a treaty of peace. He will have the whip hand, as you Americans say, and the Comanches may listen this time and agree to accept Black Wing’s suggestion. And again they may not, for that devil, Wild Bill, may again bend them to his will.”
Buffalo Bill’s face was sober. “It’s up to me to act,” he said, with decision. “But before I make an attempt to get speech with Wild Bill, I wish to see Colonel Hayden and his daughter. Bring them here, if you please.”
“Thunder Cloud will bring the white maiden, but the great white warrior cannot see the white maiden’s father.”
This was said with compressed lips and a ferocious expression.
The king of scouts involuntarily clenched his hands. He tried to speak without betraying his feelings.
“Does Thunder Cloud forget what he promised? Did he not say that he would release all the prisoners?”
The Apache chief replied, with lowering brows: “He did so promise, but he forgot when he spoke that one of the prisoners had already been condemned to death. Would Thunder Cloud be willing to forget that Colonel Hayden said ‘yes’ to the order that sent Thunder Cloud in disgrace from the white soldiers’ camp? Thunder Cloud would be a dog if he did not take his revenge upon the white colonel.”