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112 own hands. They poked at the packs of the burros and tried, like so many mischievous boys, to separate them, until Larkin tied the brutes together by their halters, leashed them to a cottonwood and, smiling, as if he had merely discomfited playfulness, stood guard. But that there was malice in their mischief was plain to see. They watched their spokesman and, when he broke out at last, they stiffened, then fell into a supple alertness. Meantime, all the band had been edging nearer. The chief whirled on Stone, his face cruel, challenging.

"You hear? You go! Now!" he said. Stone glanced at Harvey who nodded slightly for him to answer.

"You go back to your reservation," said Stone, calmly. "We know where we belong; where you belong. We do you no harm. Better you not try to do us harm. Suppose you do, bye and bye plenty talk. They will find out who was off the reservation, and they will know who to punish. Better you leave us alone."

"Ugh! You talk big. Two, three time, white man come along this way when I was very small boy. Look for gold. Gold belong Indian. Those white man die. Maybe one, two, run very fast, they go back. Suppose you look in water, top this cañon, you see two white men who not go back. Suppose we kill you, hide scalp, let coyotes crack your bones? Suppose we hide your body in cave? How any one know? How any one punish?"

"Try it on and you'll find out," said Stone, steadily.