The weakness was momentary.  Before Cora got to her the color came winging back into Colina’s cheeks.  She thrust the half-breed girl from her and, striding forward, faced the assembled Indians with blazing eyes.

“You cowards!” she cried ringingly.  “You pitiful, unmanly brutes!  I don’t know which one of you did it.  It doesn’t matter.  You all permitted it.  You shall all suffer for it.  I promise you that!”

Under the whips of her eyes and voice they cringed and scowled.

Colina thrust her riding-crop into the hands of Nesis.  “Get on that horse,” she commanded, pointing to the pack-animal.  “Mount!” she cried to Cora.

Meanwhile, from her own saddle she was hastily unfastening her rifle.  She resolutely threw the lever over and back.  At the ominous sound the Indians edged behind each other or sought cover behind convenient teepees.

Nesis and Cora were mounted.  Colina, keeping her eyes on the Indians, said to them:  “Go ahead.  Walk your horses.  I’ll follow.”  She swung herself into her own saddle.

Cora and Nesis started slowly out of the square.  Colina followed, swinging sidewise in her saddle and watching the Indians behind.

None offered to follow directly, but Colina observed that those who had disappeared around the teepees were catching horses beyond.  Others running out of the square on the other side had disappeared around the spur of the hill.

Plainly they did not mean to let her take Nesis unopposed.

The girls finally issued from among the teepees and extended their horses into a trot.  Cora rode first, her stolid face unchanged; from moment to moment she looked over her shoulder to make sure that Colina was safe.  Nesis, blinded with tears, let her horse follow unguided, and Colina brought up the rear.

Colina’s face showed the fighting look, intent and resolute.  Her brain was too busy to dwell on tragedy then.

Rounding the hill, she saw that those who had gone ahead had disappeared.  The horses that had been grazing here were likewise gone.

It was not pleasant to consider the possibility of an ambush waiting in the woods ahead.  Other Indians began to appear in pursuit around the hill.

Seeing the girls, they pulled in their horses and came on more slowly.  Colina, wishing to see what they would do, drew her horse to a walk, whereupon the Indians likewise walked their horses.

Evidently they meant to stalk the girls at their leisure.

Colina, like a brave and hard-pressed general, considered the situation from every angle without minimizing the danger.  She had really nothing but a moral weapon to use against the Indians.  If that failed her, then what?

Night was drawing on, and it would be difficult to intimidate them with eyes and voice after dark.  Moreover, her horses were fatigued to the point of exhaustion.  How could she turn them loose to rest and graze with enemies both in the front and the rear?