'Oh, my, my!' Dolly murmured beneath her breath. 'Smile, Tess!' Jamie
suggested casually.
She smiled. She locked her teeth, and she smiled. The chief spoke again,
quietly.
'What did he say?' Tess demanded.
Jamie didn't answer her.
Jon did.
'He said that you were very beautiful, and that Jamie should take good
care of you.'
The chief took Jamie's outstretched hand again, then lifted his spear
high and cast back his head. A loud, startling cry rent the air. Then
the riders were kicking up tremendous clouds of dust again, and racing
across the plain.
Moving like quicksilver, they touched the landscape and were gone. They
disappeared over the hill from which they had come.
Then, slowly, the dust settled again.
Jamie turned to the wagon.
'Come on, ladies. Let's make a little time here, shall we?'
Tess caught hold of the reins, called out to the mules and snapped the
leather in a smart crack. The animals started off with a jolt.
A little while later, Jon rode by the wagon. He smiled to Tess and
Dolly.
'Ladies, are you both all right?'
'Just fine, Jon,' Dolly told him.
'Tess?'
She nodded gravely.
'Jon, was Jamie telling the truth?' She flushed slightly.
'Did he tell me the truth about all the chief's words?'
Jon hedged slightly.
'More or less. Running River went a little bit further than Jamie told
you.'
'Oh?'
Jon shrugged.
'He said that it might have been Apache that attacked you. The Apache
have refused any treaties, they are constantly warlike, and stray bands
have been known to travel in this area frequently. The Comanche and the
Apache have often been enemies.'
'Does Jamie know the Apache as well as he knows this Running River?'
'No. The Apache do not want to be known.' Tess shivered, and Jori
quickly amended his statement.
'He does know a few of the warriors and chiefs. They will at least talk
to him. He speaks the Apache language as well as he does the Comanche.'
'It's all heathen gibberish to me!' Dolly announced. Jon grinned at
Tess, and Tess felt somewhat better. There was something very reassuring
about Jamie's abilities.
Maybe it could be proven that the Apache were no more guilty of the
attack than the Comanche.
Jon waved and rode on ahead.
'I'll take the reins for a bit now,' Dolly told her. 'You don't need to'
-- 'I'll be bored as tears if I don't put inmy part, dear. Now hand them
