plendid garment from view.

Nearly every Indian had some cast-off garment which had served its
mission for a white man. Hunters, freighters, army men, etc.,
contributed old socks, trousers, coats, gloves, hats, caps, and even
women helped bedeck these children of the forest in the glory clothes,
but the "medicine" each and every one possessed was of the same general
character--otter, beaver and mountain lion skins woven into the hair,
constituting a charm to scare away evil spirits.

Yamanatz was by the camp fire of his tepee as Chiquita threw herself
from the back of "Bonito." There were no impulsive greetings, merely a
question or two, and Chiquita disappeared in the gloom of the night to
her lodge, to dream of other scenes and to allow her imagination to
carry her to the abode of the white man's medicine houses, where nurses
comforted the maimed and sick.

In a couple of weeks the absent Utes returned, bringing provisions to
last for some time, but these did not abate the surly looks or conduct
of the older ones, who chafed at the escape of Jack, nor assuage the
enmity which the younger bucks bore him when they learned that Chiquita
piloted him safely over the divide. They dared not openly deride her as
they gathered in council to plan the breaking up of reforms which the
government anticipated at the hands of the agent at White River.

They rebelled against cultivating the ground. They ridiculed the
proposition of a Ute warrior at the plow, and muttered imprecations on
the heads of the Indian Department.

About a month after Jack had left his camp at Rock Creek, Susan arrived
at the village accompanied by her father, big chief Red Plume and a
dozen young bucks, all eager to drive the whites over the range and out
of Middle Park. But of these, half of them were desirous of annihilating
the pale faces, simply to gain Susan's favor. The other half were
striving to win Chiquita, and Susan was jealous of Chiquita to a marked
degree, while Chiquita cared naught for Susan nor any of Susan's
admirers. Susan, of course, had learned of the perilous trip of
Chiquita, and every Indian youth had a deep admiration for Chiquita that
Susan never received.

Red Plume had left the Agency to personally visit Colorow's village, and
endeavor to obtain that surly old monster's consent to move the village
back to White River, as agent Meeker had requested. Upon one pretext and
another Colorow delayed the matter day after day. In the