In
my portion I related the circumstances attending his recovery,
detailing the part taken by the boy corporals, the dog, and the troop.
I said no one desired to claim the generous reward she had offered,
since no one in particular had rescued Manuel; many things had
combined to enable him to escape. If the lady insisted upon paying
the reward, we all desired that it should be devoted to the education
of Sapoya.
Frank added a few lines, and Henry closed the letter. The younger
corporal wrote:
"I've laughed with the rest over my two days' captivity
among the Navajos, and made light of it. I don't mind
telling you that after shivering through two nights without
clothes and without enough blankets, being bitten by
mosquitoes and flies, and scorched daytimes by the sun, I
begin to think Manuel a great hero.
"You know when I saw you I told you I was going to bring
back Manuel or be a prisoner with him. That, of course, was
all foolish talk, for I planned nothing. To be sure, I was a
prisoner with him for two days and had something to do about
bringing him back, but it all happened without planning.
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