The Moshome, or enemies of her tribe, might take a fancy to the woman and spare her; but they might feel wicked and kill her.

Death appeared, after all, not such a terrible misfortune; for under present circumstances what else could she expect at the Rito but a horrible and atrocious death?
But Shotaye was intent upon living, not so much for the sake of life itself--although it had many sensual charms for her--as out of a spirit of combativeness resulting from her resolute character, as well as from the constant struggles which she had undergone during the time of her separation from her husband.

She felt inclined to live, if possible, in spite of her enemies.

To endure the lot of a captive among the Navajos was repulsive to her instincts; she hated to be a drudge.

Admitting that she succeeded in eluding those enemies, whither was she to direct her flight?
That there were village communities similar to her own at a remote distance was known to her; but she was aware of only one in which she might be received, and that belonged to the Tehuas, of whom she knew that a branch dwelt in the mountains west of the river, inhabiting caves somewhere in the rocks at one day's journey, more or less, from the Rito.