# The War Chief/Chapter 20

CHAPTER XX
COME BACK!
THROUGH that strange medium for the dissemination of information that is one of the remarkable phenomena of the life of primitive peoples, word of the activities of the hostiles was carried to the stronghold of Geronimo.
The Be-don-ko-he knew of the attack upon San Carlos Agency which resulted in the killing of Sterling , chief of Indian Scouts , and several other whites; knew that Chief Loco, successor to the dead Victorio, had joined the hostiles with all his Chi-hen-ne, men, women and children, and that the whole band was heading south toward Mexico.
They had news of the fight in Horse Shoe Canyon, and learned of the killing of Yuma Bill and three Yuma scouts and three soldiers in that fight; followed the flight of the hostiles along the rough crest of Stein's Peak Range, down into the San Simon Valley, and from there into the Chiricahua Mountains; knew ​that they had scattered there, only to meet at another point; saw them safely all the way through Whitewater Canyon, across the mountains, down Animas Valley toward Guadalupe Pass, and near there across into Mexico.
Shoz-Dijiji kept Wichita posted on all that transpired, but he would not start back with her toward her home until he was sure that the last of the hostiles was out of the country, for they had scattered twice and he was not sure that all had crossed the border. Too, there was the danger from the troops, but that was secondary because it menaced only himself.
She tried to tell him that he would be safe from the soldiers as long as he was with her, for when she had told them that he had rescued her from the hostiles they would not only be friendly but would reward him, but he shook his head.
"They kill Shoz-Dijiji first; ask you about him after," he said.
They were sitting beneath the shade of a tree upon the shoulder of the mountain, overlooking the camp of the Be-don-ko-he. In the distance they could see the wide plain stretching to other mountains.
The girl had noticed that Shoz-Dijiji always seemed to be where he could see to a great dis-​tance when he rested-or rather idled, for he never seemed to be in the need of rest. Sometimes he scanned the horizon through a pair of field glasses. Finally he touched the glasses to call her attention to them.
"You know who belong these?" he asked. She shook her head.
"Your lover," he said, laughing.
"My lover!" she exclaimed. "What do you mean? I have no lover.”
He looked at her intently for a moment. "You no love King?" he asked.
It was her turn to laugh. "He is only a friend," she said. 'Are those his glasses?"
"You no love him?" he insisted.
"Of course not."
Shoz-Dijiji know that, he kill him that time," he said, quite simply.
Impulsively she laid a hand upon his arm. "Oh, Shoz-Dijiji," she cried, "why do you want to kill every one? You are such a good man. Why don't you put away your weapons and come in to the reservation?"
Shoz-Dijiji does not want to kill everyone,” replied the brave. “Shoz-Dijiji does not want to kill you. If Shoz-Dijiji put away his weapons, no hunt, no fight; what for he live? Be reservation Indian?” There was a wealth ​of unveiled contempt in his voice. “Let agent cheat him, starve him? Let white man laugh at him, make fun of him? No!"
"But they would help you, Shoz-Dijiji. I would help you."
"Yes, you would help me; but you would always feel sorry for me because I am an Indian. I do not want the help of the white- eyes. I do not think that they would help me. Have they ever helped the Indian? What can they give the Indian that Usen has not already given him? Only, they take away what Usen has given.
"What has the pindah lickoyee better than the Shis-Inday? Is he braver? Is he more honest? Can he teach the Indian how and where to find food and clothing? No, the pindah lickoyee would starve where the Indian grows fat. He would go naked where the Indian finds more clothing than he needs. Has he more sense? He has none. See what he has done to this country.
"Before he came there was plenty for all, but like a fool he set out to kill every living thing that Usen had put here. He robs the Indian of his food, but also he robs himself of food - food that cost only a little effort to obtain - food that, hunted as the Indian knows ​Page:The War Chief (Burroughs).djvu/390 ​Page:The War Chief (Burroughs).djvu/391 ​Page:The War Chief (Burroughs).djvu/392 ​Page:The War Chief (Burroughs).djvu/393 ​Page:The War Chief (Burroughs).djvu/394 ​Page:The War Chief (Burroughs).djvu/395