"Quiet—huh? Can't let him take no risks. He's worth ten thousand to me. Here, you, Pete—and you——"
A guttural command in Navaho and a careless wave of the revolver brought Pete and his wounded but still active companion hurrying forward.
Carmena sprang up and held out her arms to the trader. Lennon failed to see her face. He saw only how Slade swept his left arm about the girl and swung her around in a bearlike embrace. Lennon sought to leap up. The Navahos seized him on either side and forced him down again.
He caught a glimpse of Carmena futilely clutching for Slade's throat. The big man burst into a bellow of contemptuous laughter and flung her from him.
"Bah!" he jeered. "What you bucking about? Don't figger I want you any more, do you?"
"No—no, of course not. I—— But Jack's head—If you hogtie him——"
"Got to be kept quiet, ain't he? You said it yourself. What you hanging fire for, Pete?"
The heavy revolver swung around in another seemingly careless gesture. Pete and the wounded Navaho hogtied Lennon with expert quickness.
Slade shifted around to nudge Farley in the ribs with the toe of his cowhide boot. The badly wounded man stirred and opened his haggard eyes to blink at the disturber.
"Has—Cochise—— What! you?" he murmured. "You have run off the devils? Girls safe?"