He waited until some time had passed since the last cough. He began to drag himself forward slowly, trying to make no sound. Somewhere a dog barked, and he froze. The child whimpered, causing him to wait again, half in and half out of the lodge.

As his eyes adjusted to the interior’s poor light, he was able to see the sleepers. The largest he took to be Fights with Bears, lying on his back, snoring again after having lain on his side for a while. Next to him lay one of his wives. Andy sought out the second wife. She lay among the children. He assumed that the sick child was one of hers.

It took him some time to be sure which of the other dark lumps was Billy. He was not quite in the place Steals the Ponies had indicated in his rough dirt sketch. Billy’s hands were tied above his head, a leather thong binding them to a tepee pole. He lay with his feet together. Andy suspected they were also bound.

He began backing out of the tepee but bumped against one of the other children. The child grunted and raised up on one elbow. Andy lay still, barely daring to breathe, until the child settled down and resumed sleep. Then he crawled free of the tepee, backwards, and inched his way around to the pole where Billy was tied.

Billy stirred restlessly. He appeared to be asleep, but Andy knew he could not be comfortable with his hands lashed above his head. If startled, he was likely to cry out and awaken the family. Andy dragged himself inside the tepee just far enough to reach Billy. Gripping his knife in a cold-sweaty hand, he cut the thong attached to the pole. His hands suddenly free, Billy brought them down in reflex and opened his eyes in surprise.

Andy clamped a hand over Billy’s mouth before the boy could do more than grunt. Billy stared wildly at him and for a few seconds fought to pull free.

“Shhh,” Andy hissed, softly as he could.

Billy calmed. Andy removed the hand and crooked his finger, silently beckoning. He began backing out of the tepee. Hands and feet still tied, Billy wriggled after him.

The sick child coughed and cried out. Instantly its mother was awake, speaking gently. She dipped a cloth into a bowl of water and laid it across the fevered face. Andy froze again and motioned for Billy to do the same.

Fights with Bears gave a loud grunt and pushed himself up on one arm. He demanded, “Can you not keep that girl quiet? I want to sleep.”

The child’s mother did not take the comment in good grace. She answered with a sharp retort. Andy feared the two would become too angry with one another to go back to sleep. But the man grunted something unintelligible and lay back down. In a few minutes the child became quiet, and its mother stretched out beside it.