“Where’s Pa-e-has-ka, Cayuse?” inquired Dell, impatient because of the boy’s provoking silence.
“Mebbyso Bonita,” answered Cayuse.
“Weren’t you, and Buffalo Bill, and Nomad with the soldiers who were taking Bascomb to Fort Apache?”
“We leave Phœnix all same with escort. Pa-e-has-ka meet pony-soldier from Bowie. Pony-soldier say something to Pa-e-has-ka, and Pa-e-has-ka go with pony-soldier to Bonita. Wuh.”
“What about you and Nomad?”
Cayuse was silent for a space, breathing hard and looking gloomily around.
“Wolf-killer and Cayuse go on with escort,” said he finally. “Two pony-soldiers in escort; two pony-soldiers, Wolf-killer, and Cayuse—him four por todos; five you count Bascomb.”
Again the boy relapsed into gloomy silence, his hands clenching about his upraised knees and his black eyes smoldering in the half-light.
“What happened?” asked Dell.