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.

Andy feared she was not asleep. She might not sleep the rest of the night. He could not afford to wait too long. After a few minutes he began crawling again, inches at a time. Billy came along after him. It seemed an hour before the boy was out of the tepee. Andy cut the leather thong that bound Billy’s hands, then the one that tied his feet.

Billy recognized him in the dim light of the half moon. “Andy!”