"No. No want it. Send Warning keep it, and tell Apaches what better do next."
"Go to better hunting-ground. Bad place for camp."
"Not till after next snow. Got enough now. Come then."
All that and more came in as a sort of preface to what Many Bears really wanted to say. He had something very heavy on his mind that morning, and in order to get rid of it he had to tell the whole story of the buffalo-hunt his band had made away beyond the mountains into the country claimed by the Lipans. That was the way they came to be followed so closely by Two Knives and his warriors.
Murray and Steve listened closely, for the chief spoke in very good Mexican Spanish most of the time, and they both understood him. Then came the story of the return through the pass, and it wound up with the finding of the talking leaves by Rita.
"No," said Murray, "I have not seen the talking leaves."
"Great medicine. Tell Apache chief about miners. Tell about old fight. Tell about blue-coat soldiers come, and where go. Tell about big talk, and treaty, and presents. Many Bears want to hear more."
"Can't hear all. Send Warning listen. Say what he hears."
"No need of squaw. Bring talking leaves."
"No," persisted Murray. "Young squaw find. All her medicine. Must hold leaves for Send Warning to read."
"Ugh! Good. Many Bears not care. Dolores bring Rita. Tell her to bring leaves."
Ni-ha-be and Rita were near enough to hear, and the latter at once darted into the lodge for her treasures, while her adopted sister looked after her with a good deal of envy in her eyes.
Rita was gone but a moment, and her whole body seemed to glow and tremble with excitement as she held out the three magazines to Murray.
"Take one, Steve. You haven't forgotten your reading, have you?"
"Send Warning hear leaves," said Many Bears, anxiously. "The Knotted Cord is young."
"He is white. He can hear. The great chief will listen."
"Ugh!" muttered Ni-ha-be, looking on from a little distance, but Rita looked at Steve, with a bright smile on her face.
"There, Murray," said Steve, "the chief was right. There's a picture of cavalry. All the others he spoke of are here. Here is the picture of the big talk and the treaty."
"Here is the mining fight--" and just there Murray paused as if he could say no more, and the Indians looked at him in undisguised astonishment. His breast was heaving, his lips were quivering, and the hands that held the magazines were trembling as if their owner had an ague fit.