CHAPTER XXIX. A GIRL’S WORD.

The instant the renegade uttered the threat, Buffalo Bill placed himself upon guard by drawing his revolvers and covering the scoundrel. His wounded arm was sore, but the nerves had recovered from the shock of the arrow-wound, and he could hold his gun steadily enough. The renegade was so near at best that the scout could not miss him!

But the scout did not shoot. The White Antelope with flashing eyes, sprang to the front, and she, too, aimed her arrow at Boyd Bennett.

The warriors--or the bulk of them, at least--were surprised by Buffalo Bill’s action, and their several weapons were in line for the scout’s heart before they noted the White Antelope’s action. Then several of them dropped their guns, and their facial expression was as foolish as it was possible for so stoical a set of faces to be!

For a moment the tableau continued. A sudden motion might have precipitated a bloody, though brief, conflict. Buffalo Bill, though pale, was stern and determined, his eyes riveted upon the face of Boyd Bennett. He felt that the girl was friendly to him, and he knew her influence among the Sioux.

“Why do you not bring that finger to the trigger of your rifle, Bennett?” he asked sneeringly. “It won’t go off otherwise.”

The girl looked at the warriors and commanded quickly:

“Let the braves of Oak Heart turn their weapons from the heart of Pa-e-has-ka, the paleface chief.”

To the delight of Buffalo Bill, the command was instantly obeyed. Much as they might have feared the power of the medicine chief, Oak Heart was greater, and his daughter was here as his representative.

That Boyd Bennett was nonplused by this move was plain. His face fell, and he lowered his own rifle. But the scowl of deadly hatred which he bestowed on the white man threatened vengeance at some future date.

“I reckon the redskins are trumps, old man, and the girl holds a full hand of them!” laughed Buffalo Bill.

“It is your time to laugh now, Cody. But mine will come,” gritted the renegade.

“Oh, I can’t expect to laugh always, Bennett; but,” and the scout changed his speech to the Sioux dialect, that all the warriors might understand; “let the renegade paleface meet me now in personal combat, and settle the matter at once. Long Hair does not fear a fair fight with the mighty Death Killer!” he added sneeringly.

The nods and grunts of the warriors showed that they approved of this proposal. Although they could not quite agree with the White Antelope’s friendliness with Buffalo Bill, they saw that he was a brave man--as, indeed, they knew well before--and a duel to the death seemed to their savage minds the only way to properly decide the controversy between their medicine chief and the scout. They looked at Bennett expectantly.

But the renegade was not desirous of meeting Buffalo Bill with any weapon he might name! He knew the scout’s prowess too well. His desire was to see the scout writhing in the embrace of the flames, or standing bound as a target for the hatchet-marksmen of the Indian tribe with which he was affiliated.

He dared not seem to refuse the challenge, however, for he would then lose completely his influence with Oak Heart’s braves. But suddenly he caught sight of the Indian maiden’s face, and that he read like an open book!

“The enemy of the Sioux has spoken well. We will fight!” exclaimed Boyd Bennett promptly, but with a crafty smile wreathing his lips.

“The White Antelope says ‘No!’” exclaimed the Indian girl, facing the renegade.

As he was so sure she would veto the proposition, the wily Bennett was eager to urge the duel.

“Why does the daughter of the great chief interfere? She says that Pa-e-has-ka is not her friend, and yet she shields him.”

Buffalo Bill had to chuckle over this. He couldn’t help it. He saw through the whole game of Bennett’s, and it amused him.

“No, the Long Hair shall not fight the medicine chief,” declared the girl earnestly.

“And why not?” demanded Bennett, with continued haughtiness.

“Because if they fought, the white man would wear the medicine chief’s scalp at his belt,” declared the young girl. “The white man shall go his way, bring his brothers to bury the paleface dead, and then deliver himself to Oak Heart, as he has promised.”

“And you can make up your mind, Boyd Bennett, that she says one very true thing,” declared Buffalo Bill. “Whenever we _do_ fight, you’ll go under! Mark that! I’ll run you down yet and nail your scalp to the wall of Fort Advance as a warning to all horse-thieves, stage-robbers, and deserters!”

The White Antelope spoke quickly before the wrathful Bennett could reply to this challenge:

“Let the paleface go to his big chief. There is his horse. Yonder is his weapon. Mount, Pa-e-has-ka, and away!”

“Aye, girl,” said Cody, in English; “but what will happen to this poor young man if I go, leaving that brute here? He will tear the scalp from Danforth’s head as soon as my back, and yours, are turned.”

“That he shall not!” exclaimed the White Antelope.

“You do not know his treachery,” said Buffalo Bill, who knew that the very deed was in Bennett’s mind.

“I have told the white man that the brave young chief shall not be mistreated.”

“Your word on it, girl?”

“The White Antelope has spoken. She will guard the body of the young white chief herself until Pa-e-has-ka’s return.”

“Good!” exclaimed Buffalo Bill. “And, my girl, you’ll never be sorry for this mercy shown the corpse of that poor young man.”

The girl looked at him strangely.

“The Long Hair will return, as he has promised, to the village of Oak Heart?”

“I’ll keep my word; do you keep yours,” said the scout.

“Pa-e-has-ka’s tongue is straight?”

“As sure as I live, I’ll come back, girl!” declared the scout earnestly.

The next instant he mounted Chief unmolested, having picked up his rifle, settled himself in the saddle, seized the reins, and dashed away. As he mounted the ridge he looked back. The reds were busy separating their own slain from the dead soldiers. The tall figure of the medicine chief was stalking angrily from the scene. White Antelope was down on her knees by the body of Dick Danforth, the dead lieutenant. With a dumb ache at his heart, and little thought for his own coming peril, Buffalo Bill went over the rise and spurred away for Fort Advance.