an.I'mOldHank,thetrapper,RedChief'scaptive.I'mgoingtobescalpedatdaybreak.ByGeronimo!Thatkidcankickhard."
"RedChief,"saysItotheboy,"wouldyouliketogohome?"
"Aw,whatfor?"sayshe."Idon'thaveanyfunathome.Ihatetogotoschool.Iliketocampout.Youwon'ttakemebackhomeagain,willyou?"
"Notrightaway,"saysI."We'llstayhereinthecaveawhile."
"Allright!"sayshe."That'llbefine.Ineverhadsuchfuninallmylife."
(MUSIC)
Wewenttobedabouteleveno'clock.Justatdaybreak,IwasawakenedbyaseriesofterriblescreamsfromBill.RedChiefwassittingonBill'schest,withonehandholdinghishair.Intheother,hehadasharpknife.HewasattemptingtocutoffthetopofBill'shead,basedonwhathehaddeclaredthenightbefore.
Igottheknifeawayfromtheboy.But,afterthatevent,Bill'sspiritwasbroken.Helaydown,butheneverclosedaneyeagaininsleepaslongasthatboywaswithus.
"Doyouthinkanybodywillpayoutmoneytogetalittleimplikethatbackhome?"Billasked.
"Sure,"Isaid."Aboylikethatisjustthekindthatparentslove.Now,youandtheChiefgetupandmakesomethingtoeat,whileIgouponthetopofthismountainandlookaround."
Iclimbedtothetopofthemountain.OvertowardSummit,Iexpectedtoseethemenofthevillagesearchingthecountryside.Butallwaspeaceful.
"Perhaps,"saysItomyself,"ithasnotyetbeendiscoveredthatthewolveshavetakenthelambfromthefold."Iwentbackdownthemountain.
WhenIgottothecave,IfoundBillbackedupagainstthesideofit.Hewasbreathing