"Lieutenant Gatewood," said Kieta.
Geronimo could not hide his astonishment. He knew that Lieutenant
Gatewood was fierce in battle, merciful in victory, and always true to
his word. With that respect which one great warrior must feel for
another, Geronimo said, "More than once I have met Lieutenant Gatewood
in battle. But it came to my ears that he had gone far from the land of
the Apaches."
"Your ears heard truly," Kieta said. "Lieutenant Gatewood has been in a
place so far off that I do not even know its name. But when he learned
that Geronimo refuses even to talk with the soldiers who are pursuing
him, he came as one whom Geronimo himself knows he may trust."
"How many soldiers are with him?" Geronimo asked.
Kieta said, "There are six soldiers, all of whom serve as couriers and
none as warriors. There are two interpreters, Jose Maria and Tom Horn."
"They are all?" Geronimo asked.
"They are all with Lieutenant Gatewood," said Kieta. "But there are many
soldiers not far away. Will you talk with this brave man?"
Geronimo gave himself to serious thought. After a while, he looked at
Kieta.
"I will talk with him," he said. "But only Lieutenant Gatewood, the six
couriers, and Tom Horn and Jose Maria. No one else must come to the
meeting place. Should there be soldiers, we fight."
"We go to tell him," Kieta said.
Geronimo said, "Martine goes to tell him. Just to be sure Martine speaks
truly, you stay with us until he returns."
Later Geronimo stood very still as he watched Lieutenant Gatewood and
his group come near. Lieutenant Gatewood had been ill and showed it. But
he was armed as a warrior should be, and mounted as a warrior should be,
and he was completely at ease. True to his word, he was accompanied only
by the six couriers and two interpreters.
Geronimo's mind took him back almost six years to a nameless canyon. He
and Naiche, with a large band of well-armed warriors, had succeeded in
luring a company of United States Cavalry to a water hole in the canyon.
The Apaches fell upon the soldiers and might have massacred every one
had not the brave Lieutenant Gatewood rallied his men and led them out
of the trap.
Geronimo stirred uneasily. His warriors could kill these few men in less
than a minute. But even as the thought occurred to him, he knew that he
would never give the order to shoot. Not when this gallant soldier was
in command.