Several hours later the men found the horses of the Begley Gang tied to a tree and what was left of their camp. There was blood along with one black feather on one of the saddles on the ground.

“Looks like Yellow-Eyes has been here” Walter said.

“Sure does” Joshua stated, looking around the campsite intently. “Looks like they were drug out of here through those bushes.”

David walked towards the bushes to get a closer look he heard a THWAP sound and his right shoulder went to burning. He looked and saw an arrow sticking to a tree behind him and his shirt ripped. “MARSHALL” he screamed. “I’m hit”

The men dropped down pulling their guns from their holsters, looking in all directions, trying to find the slightest movement of any kind. All remained quiet for almost twenty minutes, no one said a word, they just kept watching and waiting. Suddenly, a spear landed in front of the men with a black bandana tied to it. The Marshall looked at it and told the other men that the bandana belonged to Jake Begley.

The Marshall called out, “Yellow-Eyes, it is me, Marshall Joshua Stone, from over in Snow Creek.”

“Speak Marshall” came the voice from across the trees.

“I mean you or your tribe no harm, we are looking for some dangerous men who have traveled this way.” Joshua said.

“Those men were my prisoners until this morning” the Chief said. “Now, they are no more.”

“Can we go to your Reservation and get the bodies to take back with us?” Joshua asked him.

“You can go, but as prisoners as well” the Chief shouted back and just then over twenty young braves made their presence known aiming their arrows at the five men surrounding them.

“Put your guns away men, I’ll talk to the Chief when we get to their camp.” The men did what the Marshall told them to do, it was either that or take the chance of dying right there. They all stood and took off their gun belts dropping them to the ground. They were tied and led back to the Reservation walking single-filed along the rocky terrain.

Joshua tried talking to the Chief and the Medicine Man but neither would listen to reason. All they could see was that the five men were trespassing on the “sacred burial grounds.”

Chief Yellow-Eyes spoke to the Medicine Man and motioned him to go. The Medicine Man looked each man over intently before telling the braves to tie them to a stake. Once tied, their bandanas were placed on top of their heads where their hats had been. The Medicine Man returned with a very old woman and they were both chanting.

The old woman had a bowl in her hand and was stirring it with a stick all the while chanting. Five Indian women were called out from their teepee’s and stood watching, the rest of the tribe were gone.

Chief Yellow-Eyes spoke: “You men, you have walked upon sacred ground, the ground of our ancestors, you have disturbed the spirits and they are angry, they have been awoken from their rest and they ask for vengeance against the outsiders who have disturbed them.”

Joshua began to speak, “Chief, we meant no disrespect to you or your ancestors, if we had known it was sacred ground, we would not have stood on it.”

“ENOUGH!” Yellow-Eyes shouted. He looked at the old woman and nodded his head and she walked over to Walter, taking the bowl and dipping the stick inside of it, she rubbed the green goop across his lips.

“That’s nasty” Walter said, trying to spit it out of his mouth and get it off his lips.

She walked over to David and did the same. David never spoke a word, he just licked it off his lips and swallowed.

Melvin tried turning his head to avoid the slop coming at him. The Medicine Man hit him across the leg with a big stick and when he screamed, she placed the goop on his tongue.

Tom was next. He looked over at Josh and said: “been a real pleasure riding and knowing you Marshall.” and the old woman put a stick full in his mouth as well.

The Marshall stood there, hands tied behind him around the post, head up high, he stared at Yellow-Eyes as he opened his mouth and took the foul tasting goop in and swallowed it.

Yellow-Eyes walked over to the men and told them, “these five women you see before you are the wives of the braves the men before you killed. They are to be your caretakers from this day on. Whether you live or die is up to them.” and saying that he walked over to the women.

“Running Deer” the chief said, “this one is yours” as he pointed to Walter. “Singing Bird, he is yours” and pointed to David. “Morning Star, he is yours” and pointed to Tom. “Little Bear, that one is yours” and pointed to Melvin.

The Chief looked at me and said: “Marshall, you are a just man and for that, I give White Eagle to you as your caretaker.” and with that, the women walked over to the men and slowly pulled the bandanas over their eyes.

The sun was hot and the goop was beginning to work as each man felt like his insides were on fire and burning a hole in their bellies. Each man screamed almost in unison as the goop worked on them. They could feel the ropes on their wrist loosen but their bodies were numb, their eyes covered, all but that burning sensation. The agony seemed to last for almost an hour before they had all passed out from the pain. When it was over, Yellow-Eyes motioned for the women to take the men to their teepee’s. Quickly, they grabbed them and carried them away.

Joshua was the first to awaken. All he could see was a leather wall around him. It seemed to reach up almost twenty feet high and about ten foot round. He could also see he was naked. He kept hearing a strange humming sound but couldn’t figure it out.

Soon, the other men awoke to almost the same thing. A round prison and naked.