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Show 124 INDIANS PACIFIED. As we were not likely to desert a comrade at such a time, this was but small comfort. " Hamblin behaved with admirable coolness, not a muscle in his face quivered, not a feature changed, as he communicated to us, in his usual tone of voice, what we then fully believed to be the death warrant of us alL " When the interpreter ceased, he, in the same even tone and collected manner, commenced his reply. He reminded the Indians of his long acquaintance with their tribe, of the many negotiations he had conducted between his people and theirs, and his many dealings with them in the 5 T ears gone by, and challenged them to prove that he had ever deceived them ever spoken with a forked tongue. He drew a map of the country on the ground, and showed them the impossibility of his having been a participant in the affray. " To their insolent query, ' Imme- cotch navaggi?' ( ain't you afraid) he replied with admirable presence of mind, ' Why should we be afraid of our friends? Are not the Navajoes our friends, and we theirs? Else why did we place ourselves in your power?' " He spoke for a long time, and though frequently and rudely interrupted, his patience and nerve never gave way, and when he ceased, it was apparent that his reasoning had not been with-out effect in their stubborn bosoms. But the good influence was of short duration. " A young Indian, whom we afterwards learned was a son of the-chief, and brother of two of the slain Indians, addressed the assembled warriors, and we could see that the tide was turning fearfully against us. He wound up his impassioned harrangue by springing to his feet, and, pointing to an Indian who had not yet spoken, called to him to come forward. The Indian came and kneeled before him, when with one hand he took back his buckskin hunting shirt, revealing the mark of a recent bullet wound, and with the other pointed to the fire, uttering, or rather hissing a few emphatic words, which we afterwards learned were a demand for instant death by fire. " The effect was electrical. The sight of the wounded brave roused their passions to the utmost fury, and as we glanced around the savage circle, our hands involuntarily tightened their grasp on our six- shooters, for it seemed that our hour had come. " Had we shown a symptom of fear, we were lost; but we sat perfectly quiet, and kept a wary eye on the foe. It was a thril- |