“I tried,” Matt said. “I wasn’t very successful, I’m afraid.”
“What happens inside the heart is more important than what happens outside the heart. Because you tried, you are the friend of Nopoloto.”
Matt touched his cup to that of Nopoloto as if in toast. It was not a gesture with which Nopoloto was familiar, but he responded quickly.
“I am honored to be the friend of Nopoloto,” Matt said.
Nopoloto was quiet until they had finished drinking their coffee. Then he spoke.
“I will take you to Delshay,” Nopoloto said.
“I appreciate that.”
“But you must do as I say.”
“All right,” Matt agreed.
Searching around the camp, Nopoloto found a dead tree limb that was about six feet tall, and ended with a Y. He tied the branch to his saddle, then asked for Matt’s weapons.
“I don’t know,” Matt said. “I feel naked out here if I’m not armed.”
“You must do as I say,” Nopoloto said again.
Matt hesitated for just a moment, then handed his pistol to Nopoloto. Using a small strip of rawhide, Nopoloto tied the pistol to one side of the Y at the top of the branch. Then he did the same thing with Matt’s rifle, tying it to the other side. As they rode off, it was obvious to anyone who might see them that Matt was unarmed.
Matt followed Nopoloto, then chuckled as he realized they were circling back to an encampment he had already located, and discarded. Delshay was coming back to previously used encampments, realizing that whoever was following him would continue on.
As they approached the camp, Matt saw three Indians standing on the trail, waiting for them. One of the Indians was the biggest Apache he had ever seen. One was young, perhaps in his early twenties. The one in the middle was Delshay. Matt recognized him from the days when he had scouted for the army. Matt held his hand up, palm out, and was gratified to see that Delshay responded in the same way.
Delshay and Nopoloto spoke a few words in their own language. Then Delshay spoke to Matt in English.
“I have seen you before,” he said.
“Yes.”
“You were with the soldiers. Are you still with the soldiers?”
“No.”
“You have come for Mountain Lion Woman.”
“You have given her a fine name,” Matt said.
Delshay nodded. “Yes. She has the courage of a mountain lion. Her man has the courage of a rabbit.”
The other two Indians laughed.
“I have come for her, yes.”
“You would take her back to the coward?”
“I will take her where she wants to go,” Matt said.
“She will not wish to return to the coward.”
“I believe it is for her to decide.”
“Yes,” Delshay said. “It is for her to decide.”
With Matt and Nopoloto leading their horses, they followed Delshay and the other two Indians for about a mile until they came to the site of an encampment. As Matt had surmised, this was one of the earlier camps he had already discovered.
“You have been here before,” Delshay said.
“Yes,” Matt answered,
“You track like a wolf,” Delshay said. “I knew that you would find us. That is why I sent Cochinay to tell Nopoloto to bring you to me.”
“I am Cochinay,” the youngest of the three Indians who had met him said.
“You are married to the daughter of Nopoloto,” Matt said.
“You know this?” Cochinay asked in surprise.
Matt had heard about Cochinay and Alope from Nopoloto when he took him to the reservation hospital.
“Yes, I know this. It is a good marriage for her.”
“She is dead. She was killed before we could marry.”
“You are married,” Matt said. “In the spirit world, you are married, and she is very pleased.”
Cochinay nodded. “Yes,” he said. “Yes, I think that is right.”
Matt looked around the campsite for Cynthia. At first, he saw only Indians—then he realized that one of the
