Shotaye burst out laughing.  The panther had done well.  He had enough to satisfy his appetite, besides, and there was no danger of her being attacked.  The American panther is not dangerous to man; but he carries a mouthful of very sharp teeth, and his claws are long; he is a powerful animal, agile and large.  Nobody can foretell what might happen in case he should be ill-humoured.  The woman began to scan the landscape around; it was a clear space, and she could see the bushes from their tops down to the ground.  The base of one of these bushes attracted her attention.  Almost level with the soil, something black appeared beneath its branches.  As she examined it more closely she saw that it was not really black, but of a grayish brown, like the colour of the soil.  It was neither a plant nor was it a part of the earth itself, nor a stone.  It might be some animal.  The more she looked the more she became satisfied that it was neither animal’s skin nor fur.  The object was hairless.  Only the skin of a human being could appear so smooth.  Her first impulse was to hide; but before she could execute her purpose the object moved slightly, and something white appeared above the black.  It was disk-like, and on it there was some object of a red colour.  The eyes of Shotaye sparkled; she abandoned all thoughts of concealment or of flight, and fastened her gaze on the strange thing beneath the shrub.  It became clearer and clearer to her that it was a human form, and that on its back was a white shield decorated with red.  That shield she knew to be Cayamo’s.

But what could Cayamo be doing here?  Or was it perhaps not he, but some Navajo who had vanquished the proud warrior and was carrying home his weapons in triumph?  The latter appeared rather improbable, and yet who could tell?  At all events the man was alive, for he had moved.  It was equally certain that he had not seen her.  In order to clear up all doubt Shotaye looked around for shelter, and saw near by a bush that afforded a scanty hiding-place.  She glided to it noiselessly; and changing her position, got nearer to him, and was even able to see more of his body and dress.  The first glance satisfied her that he was not a Navajo, but a village Indian, and indeed her friend Cayamo.

Every trace of fear disappeared.  Shotaye left the shelter of the bush and stepped up toward him rather noisily, at the same time calling his name.  He did not reply; and as she came nearer, the regular breathing and the heaving of his chest showed the cause of his silence; the great warrior from the Puye was fast asleep!  Under different circumstances she would have left him and quietly retired, but now she could not; the opportunity was too favourable, matters too threatening for her.  She must be recognized by him once more, must show to him that she still counted on his pledge, on his friendship, his protection.  Yet she did not wake him, but went close to his prostrate form and bent over it, even holding her breath for a while.