"Cochise denied that Chiricahuas had stolen either the boy or the
cattle," Naiche went on. "Bascom gave him the lie and ordered his
soldiers to make prisoners of those who had come to talk. Cochise
escaped by slashing the tent with his knife and running. But the
warriors were captured. So we captured some white men."
There was a moody silence while Naiche pondered his words. He continued:
"Meanwhile a white chief named Irwin, who outranked Bascom, came to
Apache Pass. We sent word to him that we would free our white captives
if our warriors were freed. Instead, while we watched from surrounding
cliffs, Irwin had them killed in the peculiar fashion of white men. He
tied ropes around their necks and let them dangle from a tree until they
were dead. In turn, we killed our white prisoners."
"I was raiding in Mexico at the time, for I have raided Mexicans at
every opportunity since the massacre at Kas-Kai-Ya," Geronimo said. "I
wish that I had been present."
Naiche said, "If you had been, you would have seen for yourself why the
Chiricahuas are at war with the white men. But, though no warrior is
more courageous nor any chief more wise, I know my father. He wars with
them now, but in his heart he, too, thinks that we must some day make
peace with the white men."
"There is no peace at present," Geronimo said, "so let us return to the
village, get guns, and kill the two white men I have just seen. We shall
not find the third alive."
"Let us do that," Naiche agreed.
They rode into the Chiricahua encampment just in time to see the women
and children, with an escort of warriors, leaving. The remaining
warriors were looking to their weapons. Naiche and Geronimo made their
way to Cochise, who was calmly giving orders to sub-chiefs.
"Why should this be?" Naiche inquired.
"Our scouts bring word that many soldiers from the land to the west, who
call themselves the California Volunteers, are marching in this
direction. They go to fight in the war that other white men are fighting
to the east," Cochise said. "The path they have chosen will lead them
through Apache Pass. I have sent word to Mangus Coloradus to join us.
Then we will kill every soldier!"
At the exciting news of a great battle in store, Geronimo and Naiche
forgot all about the two white men whom they had intended to find and
kill.