“There must be a couple of thousand Indians here, at least.”
“Double that number and more, for the village is five miles long, has some twelve hundred tepees, and can put out a force to defend it of two thousand warriors. Then there are several other contingent villages in these mountains that claim Iron Eyes as chief. It would be a sad day for any force of soldiers to invade these mountains, Miss Fallon, unless they came several thousand strong.”
“That was just what I was thinking,” answered Lucille.
As they rode into the village the squaws and children rushed toward them to see the newcomer.
But a few words from the outlaw prevented any rudeness, for they held no sympathy for the fair-faced captive.
Lucille paled at sight of them, but remained calm, and rode on by the side of the outlaw, whom she could not but now regard as her protector.
Up through the village they rode, the girl’s fears gradually giving place to interest, until at the upper end of the valley, under the shelter of a heavily-wooded ridge, the mountaintop, there were visible a number of tepees apart from the others.
“There is your camp, Miss Fallon. It is a deserted village—the supply tepees, as I told you. Yonder you see your cabin, apart from them, and there you will be safe. I shall have a half-breed squaw, who once lived at the fort as an officer’s servant, remain there with you and do your cooking.”
“And be my guard also?”
“In a measure, yes, for she will keep the Indians away from you, and you do not need any other guard here, as you could not escape over yonder ridge, unless you have wings.