"Basta. Him big devil. Me no shoot him. Him say you go Cochise, muy pronto."
The stubborn coward turned away toward the windlass. Carmena glared after him in agonized desperation.
"All right—all right, Pete!" she cried. "Lower me to Cochise. But listen! You needn't fight Slade or any one. You heard how he fooled Cochise—made him feel good by promising him me and Jack?"
"Yes—yes. Only first, if you want me to be your woman, listen. You lower me, I make bargain with Cochise and——"
The rest of the fiercely urgent proposal was in Spanish. Pete came to a pause and cast a stealthy glance at his fellow Navaho. The man had dragged Lennon out past the windlass and turned back to grasp the crank handle.
"You damn sure Cochise him no kill me? You no lie?" demanded Pete.
"Won't you be proving you are his friend?" countered the girl. "You know Slade only half trusts you. He'll be sure to shoot you, soon as his punchers come. How about it? Do you promise? It's your only chance to get me, so long as you daren't tackle Slade yourself."
"Slade, him big devil. Injun no can——"
"Just wait and see," broke in Carmena. "Remember, there'll be tizwin for you—all you can drink—heaps of tizwin!"