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+The Project Gutenberg EBook of The War Trail, by Elmer Russell Gregor
+
+This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
+almost no restrictions whatsoever.  You may copy it, give it away or
+re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
+with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org
+
+
+Title: The War Trail
+
+Author: Elmer Russell Gregor
+
+Release Date: July 29, 2011 [EBook #36888]
+
+Language: English
+
+Character set encoding: ASCII
+
+*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE WAR TRAIL ***
+
+
+
+
+Produced by Chris Curnow, Barbara Kosker, Michael and the
+Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+  _By ELMER R. GREGOR_
+
+
+  JIM MASON, BACKWOODSMAN
+  JIM MASON, SCOUT
+
+  _Western Indian Series_
+
+  WHITE OTTER
+  THE WAR TRAIL
+  THREE SIOUX SCOUTS
+
+  _Eastern Indian Series_
+
+  SPOTTED DEER
+  RUNNING FOX
+  THE WHITE WOLF
+
+[Illustration: NOW WE MUST WATCH OUT! [Page 186]]
+
+
+
+
+  THE WAR TRAIL
+
+
+
+
+  BY
+  ELMER RUSSELL GREGOR
+
+  AUTHOR OF "THE WHITE WOLF,"
+  "RUNNING FOX," "WHITE OTTER," ETC.
+
+
+
+
+  [Illustration]
+
+
+
+
+  D. APPLETON AND COMPANY
+  NEW YORK :: 1924 :: LONDON
+
+
+
+
+  COPYRIGHT, 1921, BY
+  D. APPLETON AND COMPANY
+
+  PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
+
+
+
+
+                    CONTENTS
+
+
+  CHAPTER                                    PAGE
+
+      I. A COURIER FROM THE WEST                1
+
+     II. OFF ON THE WAR TRAIL                  13
+
+    III. THE COUNCIL FIRE                      30
+
+     IV. AWAY INTO THE NORTH                   44
+
+      V. SIOUX SCOUTS                          56
+
+     VI. THE LONE RIDER                        68
+
+    VII. SMOKE SIGNALS                         75
+
+   VIII. A CLOSE CALL                          87
+
+     IX. ANXIOUS MOMENTS                      101
+
+      X. REBELLIOUS PONIES                    115
+
+     XI. AN UNUSUAL ADVENTURE                 128
+
+    XII. AN ENCOUNTER WITH THE FLATHEADS      147
+
+   XIII. A CLEVER STRATAGEM                   158
+
+    XIV. THE BLACKFEET CAMP                   167
+
+     XV. A PERILOUS RECONNAISSANCE            181
+
+    XVI. OFF WITH THE PONIES                  197
+
+   XVII. HOTLY PURSUED                        207
+
+  XVIII. THE STAMPEDE                         224
+
+    XIX. TRAILING THE RUNAWAYS                236
+
+     XX. SAFE AT LAST                         251
+
+
+
+
+THE WAR TRAIL
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER I
+
+A COURIER FROM THE WEST
+
+
+The sun was setting behind the western rim of the plain, as White Otter,
+a famous young war-chief of the Ogalala Sioux, drew near the low ridge
+of foothills which he had been approaching since daylight. He was bound
+on a hunting expedition for deer, having promised to kill a fat young
+buck for his grandfather, old Wolf Robe, the aged Sioux chief.
+
+White Otter approached the timber with his usual caution. He knew that
+the forest often concealed foes as well as game, and he determined to
+take no risks. He rode slowly toward the cover, therefore, watching for
+the slightest warning of danger. He was within easy arrow range of the
+woods when his pony suddenly stopped and snorted nervously. White Otter
+instantly became alert. Drawing his bow, he slid to the ground, and
+sheltered himself behind his pony. Then for some time pony and rider
+watched the forest.
+
+A loud crackling of undergrowth, and a number of soft, bounding
+footfalls told him the cause of his alarm. He had startled a deer from
+its feeding ground at the edge of the plain. Convinced that the place
+was free of foes, he mounted his pony, and rode to the edge of the
+timber.
+
+This range of heavily timbered foothills was a favorite hunting ground
+of the Ogalalas, and White Otter had visited the locality many times. He
+was entirely familiar with the usual haunts of game, and knew the
+location of every spring and salt lick. Once in the timber, therefore,
+the young Sioux rode slowly along a well-worn game trail which brought
+him to a small grassy park in the dip of the hills. A little stream
+trickled through one end of it, and made it an ideal feeding ground for
+deer and elk. As it was also an attractive and sheltered camp site, and
+offered an abundance of feed for his pony, White Otter decided to remain
+there for the night.
+
+The twilight shadows were already gathering as the Sioux tied his pony
+in the woods and seated himself at the edge of the little park to watch
+and listen. Although the day was about gone he hoped that he might
+secure his game before darkness finally settled down. It was not long
+before he was roused by a rustling of wings above his head. Looking up,
+he saw a pair of plump spruce grouse on a limb directly over him. As the
+birds stretched their necks and cocked their heads to look at him, he
+drove an arrow through the body of the cock grouse. The bird fluttered
+helplessly to the ground, and White Otter immediately broke its neck.
+The remaining grouse still sat peering down at him. He made no attempt
+to kill it. It was a law of his people to kill only what they required
+that there might always be sufficient game to replenish the supply.
+
+"Wakantunka, the Great Mystery, has sent me something to eat," White
+Otter said, reverently. "It is good."
+
+As it was getting quite dark, and as there seemed little probability of
+seeing game, the Sioux decided to abandon his vigil until daylight. He
+brought his pony from the timber and tied it in the center of the park
+to graze. Then he selected his camp site and made a tiny fire of dry
+sticks. As a precaution against being seen by some prowling foe, he
+inclosed it with a barricade of rocks to hide its feeble glow. He
+plucked the grouse and spitted it on a forked stick before the fire.
+Then he drew his elk skin robe about his shoulders and seated himself to
+enjoy his evening meal.
+
+After he had eaten the grouse White Otter allowed the fire to die out.
+Then for a long time he sat in the darkness, listening to the night
+sounds. The wind whispered softly in the tree tops. The shrill yelping
+of the coyotes came from the open plain. Then the plaintive cry of the
+little red owl sounded within bowshot. White Otter listened anxiously.
+He knew that the call often was used as a signal, and he determined to
+be on his guard. However, he soon convinced himself that it was genuine,
+and dismissed it from his mind. Shortly afterward he brought his pony
+from the park and tied it near him. Then he wrapped himself in his robe
+and lay down to sleep.
+
+White Otter awakened at daylight and crept stealthily to the edge of the
+park. As he saw no game, he sat down to watch. He felt quite sure that
+either deer or elk would soon come there for food and water. In fact he
+had waited only a short time when he heard something approaching through
+the undergrowth. Fitting an arrow to his bow, White Otter looked
+anxiously in the direction of the sound. In a few minutes he saw an old
+bull elk standing in the shadows at the edge of the woods. It was thin
+and emaciated, and White Otter knew that its flesh would be tough and
+unpalatable. It was well within bowshot, but he had no thought of
+killing it. He had promised his aged grandfather a fat young buck, and
+he had no intention of disappointing him. As the old bull walked slowly
+into the open, White Otter grunted, and the elk instantly stopped and
+looked toward him. Then as the Sioux rose to his feet and showed himself
+the aged bull turned awkwardly and trotted stiffly into the cover.
+
+"Go, old man," laughed White Otter. "You have lived a long time. I will
+let you live on. I am----"
+
+He stopped abruptly, for at that moment he heard a loud snort, and a
+great crackling of brush, as the buck for which he had been waiting
+raced safely away through the woods. The young hunter flushed with
+anger.
+
+"I am like a noisy old woman," he grumbled, savagely.
+
+After he had gone to examine the trail of the buck, he again seated
+himself at the edge of the woods to watch for game. A long time passed
+before he heard anything. Then he was surprised to hear something coming
+directly toward him through the woods. It made a great noise, and
+sounded like a deer or an elk in wild flight. White Otter sprang to his
+feet and held his arrow in readiness.
+
+In a few moments a splendid blacktail buck leaped into the open. White
+Otter was astonished to see a huge gray lynx clinging to the buck. As it
+reached the park, the deer was dragged to its haunches. Then, apparently
+unmindful of the interested young hunter, the lynx relaxed its hold and
+sprang at the throat of its victim. The cruel fangs sank deep into the
+flesh, and although the buck struggled desperately it was soon overcome.
+
+Then White Otter drove his arrow through the lynx. It fell dead with the
+arrow through its heart. A second arrow ended the agony of the blacktail
+buck. Elated at his luck the Sioux ran forward to examine his game. He
+lifted the head of the lynx and gazed intently into the cruel face. Then
+he addressed the dead animal and made excuses for having killed it, so
+that its spirit would not depart in anger and seek to avenge itself upon
+him at some future time.
+
+"Ho, old man, you were very fierce," White Otter said, softly. "You were
+a good hunter. If I had not come here you would have had something good
+to eat. Well, I saw you. I came here to get meat for my grandfather, the
+great chief Wolf Robe. When I saw that buck I decided to take it. That
+is why I killed you. But you must not feel bad about it. You have done
+many bad things to my people. Yes, that is why I felt like killing you.
+You have killed many young ponies. You have driven away many deer. You
+have made it hard for our hunters to find meat. Now you know why I
+killed you. But you must not feel bad about it. Now I am going to do
+something good for you. I am going to give you some meat to take with
+you on the Long Trail. Then I am going to tell my people about you. I
+will speak good words about you. Now you must feel good about this
+thing."
+
+Having complied with the ancient custom of his people, White Otter
+opened the carcass of the deer and placed the entrails beside the lynx.
+Then he packed the buck upon his pony with a long lariat of twisted
+rawhide and rode from the park.
+
+When he reached the edge of the timber, White Otter stopped to search
+the plain. A prairie wolf trotted slowly from sight over a rise of
+ground. It was the only sign of life on the vast sage-grown waste.
+Assured that there was nothing to fear, White Otter set out upon his
+journey.
+
+White Otter had covered two thirds of the distance to the Sioux camp
+when his pony suddenly turned its nose toward the wind and whinnied
+shrilly. White Otter looked about him with considerable alarm. He felt
+certain that other horses were somewhere in the vicinity. The
+possibility roused his suspicions. He dismounted and grasped his pony
+by the nose to keep it silent. It was snorting and nervously watching a
+low grassy knoll several arrow flights away.
+
+"There are horses behind that hill," White Otter told himself.
+
+Two possibilities suggested themselves. Perhaps there was a small bunch
+of stray ponies grazing on the opposite side of the hill. Perhaps his
+foes had discovered him and were lying in ambush behind the knoll. The
+thought made him uneasy, as the day was far spent, and he was still a
+considerable distance from his people. He had great confidence in the
+ability of his pony, however, which was one of the best in the entire
+Sioux tribe. He believed that in an open chase he would have little
+difficulty in keeping well beyond range of any pursuers who might set
+out upon his trail.
+
+"I will find out about this thing," he declared.
+
+He planned to ride about the knoll at a safe distance in the hope of
+discovering what lay hidden on the other side. As he was about to mount
+his pony, however, he saw a warrior rise to his feet, and stand boldly
+outlined on the top of the hill. It was an entirely unexpected maneuver,
+and White Otter instantly became suspicious. He feared that it was a
+trick to lead him into a trap. He looked anxiously about the plain to
+make sure that other crafty foes were not circling around behind him to
+cut off his retreat. He saw no one except the mysterious stranger on the
+top of the hill. He seemed to be watching White Otter as intently as the
+latter was watching him. For some time neither moved.
+
+White Otter finally decided that, as the unknown scout was too far away
+to be identified, it would be foolish to waste more time watching him.
+He determined to continue on his way toward the Sioux camp. If he
+learned that he was being followed he planned to turn aside on a false
+trail until it grew dark. Then he would circle back toward the Ogalala
+village.
+
+As White Otter mounted his pony and started away, however, the warrior
+on the knoll suddenly showed signs of life. The Sioux had ridden less
+than an arrow flight when the sentinel disappeared over the brow of the
+hill. White Otter felt quite certain that his pursuit had begun. He
+watched anxiously over his shoulder for the first glimpse of his foes.
+The Crows had lately been seen in that vicinity, and he wondered if a
+company of those hated enemies were about to come racing along his
+trail. He did not force his pony, however, as he was eager to learn the
+identity of his pursuers before he raced away for the Sioux camp.
+
+White Otter did not have long to wait. In a few moments a solitary
+horseman swept over a rise of the plain and galloped toward him. The
+Sioux felt sure that it was the warrior who had been watching him. As
+the stranger appeared to be alone, and eager to fight, White Otter
+prepared for battle. Before venturing within arrow range, however, the
+rider suddenly wheeled his pony, and raced around White Otter at great
+speed. The Sioux immediately stopped and prepared to defend himself.
+Then he suddenly discovered that the horseman was a friend.
+
+"Ho, Dacotah! Ho, my brother!" shouted the rider.
+
+"Yes, yes, now I see who you are," cried White Otter, as he lowered his
+bow.
+
+A moment later they dismounted beside each other. White Otter recognized
+the rider as a Minneconjoux warrior named Lean Wolf, an old friend with
+whom he had shared several perilous adventures.
+
+"I have brought you some words from your brother, Sun Bird," said Lean
+Wolf.
+
+"It is good," White Otter replied, eagerly, as his eyes lighted with
+pleasure.
+
+"It is bad," Lean Wolf said, soberly.
+
+"Has something bad happened to my brother Sun Bird?" the young Ogalala
+inquired anxiously.
+
+"No, I have not come to tell you that," Lean Wolf assured him. "I have
+come to tell you that our enemies, the Blackfeet, came to our camp. They
+crawled around the village in the dark like dogs. We did not hear them.
+They ran off many ponies. Sun Bird is going to bring back those ponies.
+He is the leader of a war party. He is going to fight the boastful
+Blackfeet. He wants his brother White Otter to go with him."
+
+Lean Wolf finished speaking, and looked inquiringly at the young Ogalala
+war chief. For some moments the latter remained silent. He knew that a
+warrior must not speak hastily, or pledge himself too eagerly. Although
+his heart beat wildly at the thought of joining his friend in a war
+expedition against the Blackfeet, he carefully concealed his emotion
+lest he might lose respect in the eyes of the stern Minneconjoux scout.
+Then, after the proper interval, White Otter replied:
+
+"Lean Wolf, tell my brother Sun Bird that I will go with him to fight
+the Blackfeet," he said, quietly.
+
+"It is good," replied Lean Wolf.
+
+"See, pretty soon it will be dark," said White Otter. "You must go with
+me to my people."
+
+"No, I will go back," Lean Wolf told him. "I was going to your village
+to find you. Then I saw you here. It is good. I have brought you the
+words of your brother Sun Bird. It is what I set out to do. I have done
+it. Now I will turn back. Sun Bird is waiting."
+
+"Go, my brother," replied White Otter. "Tell Sun Bird that I will come
+to meet him at the end of three suns. If I do not come then he must wait
+one sun more. Then if I do not come he will know that something bad has
+happened to me. Now I am going away."
+
+They parted without further ceremony, riding away into the twilight in
+opposite directions. Once they had separated neither looked back. After
+he had ridden a short distance, however, White Otter raised his head and
+uttered the wild, piercing war cry of the Dacotahs. It echoed defiantly
+across the plain, and the young war chief thrilled at the sound. Then,
+after a short silence, it was answered from the west. White Otter
+laughed gleefully as he raced his pony toward the Sioux camp.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER II
+
+OFF ON THE WAR TRAIL
+
+
+When White Otter reached the Sioux camp he rode directly to the lodge of
+old Wolf Robe, the famous Ogalala war chief.
+
+"Ho, grandfather, see, I have brought you some meat," he cried gayly.
+
+"Ho, I see that you have killed a fat young buck," said Wolf Robe, as
+his eyes lighted with pleasure. "Come, woman, cut some meat."
+
+At his command, old Singing Wind, the grandmother of White Otter, came
+from the lodge. White Otter dragged the buck from his pony. Then, as
+Singing Wind called some of the younger women to help her, White Otter
+asked if he might talk with Wolf Robe.
+
+"Yes, my son, come into the lodge and sit down with me," said Wolf Robe.
+
+The old chief listened attentively while White Otter described his
+unusual adventure with the lynx. Then he told of his meeting with Lean
+Wolf, the Minneconjoux scout, and the message which the latter had
+brought from Sun Bird. Wolf Robe looked sharply at his grandson.
+
+"I am going with Sun Bird to fight the Blackfeet," declared White Otter.
+
+Wolf Robe nodded understandingly, but made no reply. For a long time he
+gazed thoughtfully at his battle-scarred war shield which hung on a
+tripod of poles at the rear of the lodge. It appeared as if the aged war
+leader was recalling his own glorious achievements on the war trail in
+the days of his youth. White Otter waited patiently for him to speak.
+
+"It is good," Wolf Robe said, finally. "The voice of a friend travels
+far. The ears of a Dacotah are open for the words of a friend. Sun Bird
+has called you. He is your friend. You must go."
+
+Having given this advice, Wolf Robe again subsided into silent
+meditation. As White Otter rose to leave, however, his grandfather
+motioned for him to be seated.
+
+"Wait, my son, I have some words for you," he said.
+
+"It is good," replied White Otter.
+
+"You say that you are going to fight the Blackfeet," said Wolf Robe.
+"Those people are strong. They are braver than the boastful Pawnees. I
+have fought with them many times. When I was a young man I was taken to
+their village. They kept me there many moons. Those were bad days. Then
+I got away. After that I fought many battles against those people. Once
+I went to their camp, and took away some ponies. It was a hard thing to
+do. Yes, my son, the Blackfeet are great warriors. Well, I have told you
+about them. Now you can tell our brothers, the Minneconjoux, about it. I
+believe you will have a big fight to get back those ponies. My son, you
+are a Dacotah. It is enough. I have spoken. Go!"
+
+The following day, at sunrise, White Otter set out to join the
+Minneconjoux war party. He was dressed and decorated for the war trail.
+Naked above the waist, he had daubed and streaked his face, chest and
+arms with yellow clay. A great war bonnet of eagle plumes proclaimed his
+rank as a famous Ogalala war chief. His dress consisted of buckskin
+leggings, buffalo-hide moccasins, a buckskin breechcloth, and a silky
+cow buffalo robe for protection against wind and storm. He carried a
+wolfskin case containing his bow and arrows, a flint knife in a buckskin
+sheath, his buffalo-hide war shield, and a weasel-skin pouch containing
+his fire sticks and some dried meat. Mounted upon his best war pony,
+the dashing young warrior made a striking appearance as he rode proudly
+from the great Sioux camp.
+
+Many friends shouted good wishes from the edge of the village. White
+Otter turned his pony, and answered them with the thrilling war-cry of
+the Dacotahs. Then he raced away toward the west.
+
+Once beyond range of the camp, however, White Otter drew his pony to a
+walk, and carefully scanned the plain. He had little fear of
+encountering foes so near the Ogalala village, but he determined to take
+every precaution. A small band of antelope were feeding far away toward
+the south, and as they seemed to be the only living creatures on the
+vast expanse of plain White Otter urged his pony into a canter and
+proceeded on his way.
+
+It was a glorious day in early summer. The sky was blue and cloudless.
+The prairie was dotted with flowers. Birds sang gayly from the thickets.
+The air was perfumed with the fragrance of blossoms, the sweet aroma of
+growing grass, and the faint, spicy scent of distant sage.
+
+White Otter rode on his way in high spirits. He was carefree, and happy,
+and eager for adventure. The fact that he was about to expose himself
+to the perils of the war trail caused him slight concern. He had
+implicit confidence in the ability and courage of his tribesmen, the
+fearless Minneconjoux, and he had little doubt that their expedition
+against the powerful Blackfeet would be entirely successful. The thought
+of being injured or killed in the adventure never entered his mind. If
+it had he would have wasted little time upon it, as he had long since
+learned to scoff at danger, and to accept injury and death as inevitable
+possibilities in the life of every warrior.
+
+Toward the end of the day White Otter came in sight of a familiar little
+grove of aspens which marked a former camp site. He had encountered a
+company of Ute warriors at that spot the previous year, and he was
+somewhat suspicious of it. It offered a splendid hiding place to foes,
+and the wily young Sioux determined to make sure that the place was
+unoccupied before he ventured within arrow range. He stopped at a safe
+distance out on the plain, and watched the grove with considerable
+anxiety. Then, as he saw nothing to arouse his suspicions, he rode
+slowly about the camp site, looking for fresh pony tracks. He soon
+discovered them. They led away from the grove. White Otter dismounted,
+and studied them with great care. He saw that it was the trail of a
+single pony, and the tracks were several days old. Having learned that
+much, he walked slowly ahead of his horse, watching carefully to
+discover where the trail had entered the grove.
+
+"Perhaps it was Lean Wolf," he told himself.
+
+He soon learned otherwise, as the trail approached the grove from the
+south. White Otter followed the tracks a short distance out on the
+plain, and found evidence which convinced him that the pony had carried
+a rider. As there seemed little to be gained by following the trail
+farther in that direction, he turned and followed it to the grove.
+
+The camp site was unoccupied, and as there was a spring, and plenty of
+grass for his horse, White Otter decided to stop there for the night. He
+picketed his pony, and then began to examine the place for signs. The
+ashes from a small fire, and some charred bones scattered near by, told
+him that some one had spent the night at that spot several days before.
+He worked diligently to find a clew to the identity of the traveler, but
+found nothing which would tell him what he wished to know. The little
+mound of ashes, the remnants of a meal, and the pony tracks were his
+only clews.
+
+The fact that the unknown horseman had come from the south aroused White
+Otter's interest. Both the Pawnees and the Utes lived to the southward.
+As he had already encountered a war party of the latter at the grove he
+wondered if it was a favorite stopping place for those mysterious foes.
+However, as the signs were at least two days old, the possibility caused
+him little concern.
+
+Having finished his reconnaissance, White Otter seated himself at the
+edge of the grove to watch the plain. The sun had already set, and the
+purple evening shadows were creeping out of the east. The prairie
+appeared lifeless. The Sioux was at a loss to account for the scarcity
+of game. He feared that foes of some sort had driven it from the
+locality. The thought suggested the possibility that the lone rider was
+a scout, loitering behind a hunting party to watch for enemies.
+
+At dark White Otter returned to his pony. He feared to make a fire, lest
+the gleam might betray him to his foes. He sat beside the little spring,
+and ate several cakes of pemmican, composed of dried meat and berries,
+which he had brought for just such an emergency.
+
+Before he ventured to sleep, White Otter returned to the edge of the
+plain, and spent a long time listening for a warning of approaching
+enemies. The howling of some distant prairie wolves, the gentle rustling
+of the aspens, and an occasional grunt from his pony were the only
+sounds. He continued to listen, however, until the night was half gone.
+Then he returned to the camp site, and lay down to sleep.
+
+Dawn was just breaking when White Otter was suddenly awakened by the
+snorting of his pony. Seizing his bow, he moved cautiously to the edge
+of the grove. A buck antelope was standing within easy bowshot. It had
+scented the pony, and stopped to investigate. Unable to resist the
+temptation, White Otter drove his arrow through its heart. It was a
+yearling in prime condition, and he cut a choice steak from the carcass.
+Then, as the light strengthened, and he saw no evidence of foes, he made
+a tiny fire and broiled the antelope meat. He ate heartily, and gave
+thanks to Wakantunka, the Great Mystery, for sending him food.
+
+Shortly after sunrise White Otter resumed his journey toward the
+Minneconjoux camp. As the pony tracks led in that direction he followed
+them with keen interest. If the lone horseman really were a hostile
+scout, White Otter knew that to follow him would be the surest and
+safest way of locating any enemies who might be in the vicinity. He kept
+a sharp watch, therefore, and approached the knolls and ridges with
+great caution.
+
+It was midday before he saw anything to make him suspicious. Then he
+discovered a dense cloud of dust rising behind a slight elevation of the
+plain. He immediately stopped to watch it. It suggested two
+possibilities--a herd of frightened buffaloes or a company of horsemen.
+White Otter longed to peep over the top of the ridge, but he realized
+that it would be folly to take the risk until he knew what was before
+him. He knew that hostile scouts might be watching from that spot, and
+the possibility made him cautious.
+
+"Perhaps some one is hunting buffaloes," he said.
+
+Realizing that he might have been seen, White Otter looked for a place
+of concealment. The plain was open and bare of shelter, however, and
+there was no chance to hide. He determined to remain where he was,
+hoping that something might appear along the crest of the ridge.
+
+It was soon evident that whatever was raising the dust was moving
+rapidly toward the north. White Otter felt quite certain that it was a
+herd of buffaloes in wild flight. Perhaps they were pursued by wolves,
+which were always loitering about the herds at that season to prey upon
+the young calves. It was just as probable, however, that a hunting
+party of foes had invaded the great Sioux hunting grounds.
+
+"Well, I will wait here and see what comes of it," declared White Otter.
+
+The dust cloud finally faded out some distance farther toward the north.
+White Otter was perplexed. He was undecided as to what he should do. The
+ridge extended like a barrier directly across his path, and it would be
+necessary to cross it to continue his journey. Still, he realized the
+peril of venturing within bow range.
+
+White Otter waited a long time, and then finally turned his pony toward
+the south, and rode along parallel with the ridge. Having seen nothing
+which would lead him to suspect enemies, he planned to cross the ridge
+some distance to the southward. When he believed that he had gone a
+sufficient distance, he turned and approached the ridge. As he finally
+came within arrow range he stopped and searched the top of the slope for
+signs of foes. Although he failed to discover them, he realized that
+they might be lying just below the top of the ridge, in which event it
+would be impossible to see them. He rode forward with great caution,
+therefore, and was prepared to flee at the first hint of danger.
+
+White Otter had actually begun to climb the slope when he was startled
+by a chorus of whoops and yells, and turning toward the left he saw a
+company of horsemen racing toward him. He lashed his pony up the slope
+and crossed the ridge. Then he rode furiously toward the west.
+
+The maneuver completely fooled the Pawnees who had expected him to turn
+down the ridge and flee in the opposite direction. Their confusion gave
+White Otter a chance to get beyond arrow range before they dashed over
+the ridge in pursuit of him. He looked over his shoulder and counted
+eight riders whom he instantly recognized as Pawnees. His eyes flashed
+dangerously as he thought of those hated foes.
+
+White Otter was holding his lead over his pursuers when he suddenly saw
+a solitary rider gallop from a little grove of trees, and race
+diagonally across the plain in an effort to intercept him. The Pawnee
+was mounted on a particularly fast little buckskin, and White Otter
+realized that unless he swerved from his course he would soon come
+within easy bow range of him. The Sioux however, refused to give way.
+
+"I will kill that man," White Otter declared, grimly.
+
+The other Pawnees had failed to come within bowshot, and although they
+were yelling fiercely, and forcing their ponies to the limit, White
+Otter gave little attention to them. His eyes were fixed on the daring
+rider who was racing recklessly across the plain in an attempt to get in
+front of him. The Pawnee seemed equally intent upon watching White
+Otter. The ponies appeared well matched, and the race was a thrilling
+one.
+
+When they finally came within bow range, White Otter was sufficiently in
+the lead to foil the plan of the Pawnee. The latter, however,
+immediately began to shoot his arrows, and one of them penetrated deep
+behind the shoulder of the Sioux pony. Mortally wounded, the unfortunate
+animal made one great bound and then crashed to its knees, and White
+Otter was thrown heavily over its head.
+
+Jarred and stunned, the Sioux staggered to his feet to find the Pawnee
+almost upon him. Quick to realize his peril, White Otter dropped behind
+his dying pony as the Pawnee shot his arrow. The next moment he drove
+his own arrow through the body of his foe, as the latter rode at him
+with his war club raised for the fatal stroke. As the Pawnee toppled to
+the plain, White Otter sprang forward and seized the bewildered pony. An
+instant later he was racing away through a volley of Pawnee arrows.
+
+Enraged at the fate of their comrade, the Pawnees were risking their
+necks to overtake the Sioux. White Otter feared that at any moment
+either he or the captured pony would be pierced by their arrows. In
+their frenzy, however, they shot wildly, and their arrows flew wide of
+the mark. White Otter lashed the Pawnee pony without mercy in an effort
+to place himself beyond arrow range. He was astonished at the speed and
+stamina of the buckskin, and he soon realized that it was the equal of
+the horse he had lost. The discovery gave him confidence. A glance
+backward told him that two of his pursuers were steadily losing ground,
+and he was holding his lead against the others. He was still within
+arrow range, however, and he crouched low upon the buckskin, and urged
+it to still greater efforts. It responded nobly, and the fierce yells
+from his enemies convinced him that they were falling farther behind.
+The Pawnee pony was speeding over the plain with great bounds, and White
+Otter was forced to admit that his favorite war pony would have been
+sorely tried to maintain the pace.
+
+Having begun to increase his lead, White Otter took hope. The little
+buckskin had won his confidence, and he had little fear of being
+overtaken. The day was far spent, and he believed that he would have
+little difficulty in keeping well ahead of his pursuers until darkness
+came to his aid. Then he knew that it would be a simple task to shake
+them from his trail. Feeling sure of escape, therefore, he sat erect and
+shook his bow defiantly at the helpless Pawnees. They replied with wild
+yells of rage, and White Otter laughed mockingly.
+
+The Pawnees continued the chase until darkness finally blotted them from
+sight. Then White Otter turned sharply from his course, and rode
+directly toward the north. Feeling confident that the maneuver would
+baffle his foes, he slackened the pace of his pony to an easy canter.
+Thus he rode until the night was half gone, and then he stopped and
+dismounted from the tired little buckskin.
+
+Fearing that the Pawnees might continue to search for him, White Otter
+made no attempt to sleep. He sat close beside his pony, watching and
+listening for a warning of his foes. He hoped that if they failed to
+find him before daylight they would abandon the pursuit rather than
+venture farther into the Minneconjoux hunting grounds.
+
+Shortly before daylight White Otter mounted his pony and rode away
+toward the west. Having heard nothing from the Pawnees he felt quite
+certain that he had thrown them from his trail. His confidence was
+rudely shaken, however, when he suddenly heard the sharp, husky bark of
+the little gray fox a short distance at his left. A few moments
+afterward a horse whinnied, and before he could interfere the little
+buckskin replied.
+
+"That is bad," White Otter murmured, uneasily.
+
+He was fearful and perplexed. The signal was a favorite one among the
+Sioux, and still under the circumstances he mistrusted it. He waited,
+therefore, listening anxiously to locate whoever confronted him. In a
+few moments the call was repeated at his right. He knew that either
+friends or foes were on both sides of him. At length he answered the
+challenge. A voice sounded from the darkness.
+
+"Ho, Dacotah."
+
+"Ho, my brother Sun Bird," White Otter replied, joyfully, as he
+recognized the voice of his friend.
+
+Then Sun Bird and his brother Little Raven rode forward to meet him. The
+three young warriors had shared many perilous adventures, and they
+greeted one another with boyish enthusiasm. Then Sun Bird repeated the
+call of the little gray fox three times in quick succession, and fifteen
+grim Minneconjoux warriors came to join them.
+
+"Lean Wolf told us about this thing," Sun Bird explained. "Come, Lean
+Wolf, here is White Otter, tell him about it."
+
+"Ho, my brother," said Lean Wolf, as he rode up beside White Otter.
+
+"Ho, my brother Lean Wolf," White Otter replied, heartily.
+
+"When I was riding back to my people I saw some Pawnee hunters,"
+explained Lean Wolf. "They saw me, but I was a long ways off. They did
+not come after me. I told my people about it. Sun Bird said, 'It is bad.
+Those Pawnees may kill White Otter. Perhaps we can help him. Come, my
+friends, who will go with me to find White Otter?' That is how we came
+here."
+
+"It is good," said White Otter. "The brave Minneconjoux are my brothers.
+I believe when the Pawnees heard your ponies they ran away. But see, my
+friends, I am riding one of their ponies. It is very fast. I will tell
+you how I come to have it."
+
+The Minneconjoux listened with great interest while White Otter told of
+his adventure with the Pawnees. When he finished speaking there were
+many exclamations of approval from the stern warriors who had gathered
+about him.
+
+"White Otter, you have done a good thing," declared Sun Bird. "See, it
+is getting light. Come, we will go and tell our people how you fooled
+the boastful Pawnees."
+
+They turned their ponies toward the west, and rode away singing
+boastfully of White Otter's triumph over the Pawnees.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER III
+
+THE COUNCIL FIRE
+
+
+Late the second day the Sioux came in sight of the great Minneconjoux
+camp. It was situated beside a wide stream that flowed down from great
+snowy peaks farther to the westward. The little company of riders
+stopped on the summit of a grassy knoll and looked with pride on the
+great circle of lodges which dotted the plain. Their pride was somewhat
+humbled, however, by the absence of the vast herd of ponies which
+usually were to be seen grazing near the village. The few horses that
+had escaped the Blackfeet raid were carefully guarded within the camp.
+
+The riders had already been discovered and recognized by watchers at the
+edge of the village, and a company of horsemen was soon racing across
+the plain to meet them.
+
+"See! my people are coming to take you to their village," Sun Bird told
+White Otter.
+
+As the Minneconjoux dashed up to them White Otter recognized several old
+friends in the company who had come out to welcome him. There was
+Feather Dog, a famous scout, with whom he had shared a number of
+thrilling adventures; and Sitting Eagle, another great scout, was in the
+party. Then there was Kicking Bull, a renowned hunter, whom White Otter
+had saved from death in a buffalo stampede. All those men greeted the
+famous young Ogalala chief with great respect, and his heart filled with
+pride as he realized the esteem in which he was held by those renowned
+warriors.
+
+"You have come to help us fight the Blackfeet," said Feather Dog. "It is
+good. We will do some big things."
+
+"I was going with my brother Sun Bird to find you, but the great chief
+Curly Horse asked me to stay behind," explained Kicking Bull. "Some of
+our young men saw smoke over near the mountains, and we were afraid that
+the Blackfeet were coming back. That is why I held back."
+
+"It is good," declared White Otter.
+
+As the horsemen approached the camp the Minneconjoux began to shout the
+name of White Otter and to sing songs of welcome. The daring exploits of
+the young Ogalala war chief had made him famous throughout the great
+Dacotah nation, and the Minneconjoux were prepared to honor him with
+the courtesies due a great chief. When he reached the edge of the
+village he was met by a delegation of noted warriors who led him through
+the camp, so that all the people might have a chance to welcome him.
+
+"See, here is White Otter!" cried the Minneconjoux. "It is White Otter,
+the great chief of the Ogalalas. It is White Otter, the great war
+leader. See, White Otter, our lodges are open. We have cooked much meat.
+You must come to our lodges, and eat with us."
+
+Men, women and children followed behind his pony, as his escort led him
+toward the lodge of the famous chief, Curly Horse. The Minneconjoux war
+chief was waiting to receive him. Beside him stood Rain Crow, the noted
+Minneconjoux medicine man, who was the father of Sun Bird and Little
+Raven. The most renowned men of the tribe composed the company which
+Curly Horse had summoned to greet the Ogalala. They were dressed in
+their choicest possessions and they made a splendid appearance. Each of
+them wore the coveted war bonnet of eagle plumes, and carried his
+coupstick with a record of his achievements on the war trail. It was a
+notable gathering, and White Otter thrilled with pride as he looked upon
+those splendid men of the great Dacotah nation.
+
+Curly Horse, the chief, was particularly imposing. He was a middle-aged
+man, tall, and of powerful physique, with stern features, and steady,
+penetrating eyes. His voice was deep and commanding, and he carried
+himself with the pride and dignity appropriate to his rank. He wore a
+great headdress of eagle feathers which extended to the ground. Each
+feather was tipped with a small tuft of hair taken from the scalps of
+his foes. His buckskin shirt was decorated with weasel tails, and mystic
+symbols traced with colored porcupine quills. His buckskin breeches were
+deeply fringed, and ornamented with porcupine quills and elk teeth. A
+breastplate composed of the leg bones of deer covered his breast. About
+his neck was a necklace of bear claws. His moccasins were of buffalo
+hide, beautifully decorated with porcupine quills and colored grass.
+Over his arm he carried a magnificent robe of the grizzly bear.
+
+"White Otter, you have come to my lodge--it is good," said Curly Horse.
+"These great warriors have come here to meet you. Many moons have passed
+since you came here before. My people have talked about you. They wanted
+you to come back. Now I will tell you that we feel good because you have
+come here."
+
+"I have listened to the words of the great chief, Curly Horse," replied
+White Otter. "They make me feel good. I will keep them in my heart. The
+Minneconjoux are my brothers. When my brothers call, I come. My brother
+Sun Bird called me. I am here. I am going with my brothers to fight the
+Blackfeet. We will bring back many ponies."
+
+As White Otter ceased speaking Curly Horse glanced at Rain Crow and the
+famous medicine man stepped forward to greet the Ogalala.
+
+Rain Crow appeared older and less robust than his chief, but he, too,
+was of striking appearance. His face was seamed and scarred, and his
+hair was streaked with gray. His eyes, however, flashed with the fire of
+youth. He wore a large wolfskin cap decorated with a great pair of
+buffalo horns. His face was painted with white clay. His hair was
+divided into two braids bound with otter skin. His buckskin shirt and
+breeches were decorated with mysterious medicine symbols. About his neck
+was a necklace of sacred charms or tokens, each believed to possess some
+strange power which would aid him in overcoming the Evil Spirits, and
+preserve him from the attacks of his foes. In his right hand he carried
+the sacred medicine pipe. Over his left arm was a handsome robe of
+wolfskins.
+
+"White Otter, Curly Horse has spoken," said Rain Crow. "Now I will give
+you some words. I feel good when I see you here. You are a young man,
+but you are a great chief. I believe you will do something big when you
+meet the boastful Blackfeet. White Otter, you say that Sun Bird and
+Little Raven are your brothers. It is good. I will make you my son. My
+son, the lodge of Rain Crow is open for you. I have spoken."
+
+"Rain Crow, you are a great Medicine Person," replied White Otter. "You
+have done some big things. I have heard my people talk about you. It is
+true that Sun Bird and Little Raven are my brothers. You have called me
+your son. It is a great thing. I feel good about it. I will tell my
+people about it. It will make them feel big. My father, I will bring you
+some ponies from the Blackfeet camp. I have finished."
+
+Many other noted warriors made speeches praising the ability and courage
+of the young Ogalala, and welcoming him to the Minneconjoux camp. When
+the ceremony was finally concluded Sun Bird escorted White Otter to the
+lodge of Rain Crow.
+
+"Now I will tell you how the Blackfeet ran off all those ponies," Sun
+Bird said, when they were alone.
+
+"Yes, tell me about it," urged White Otter.
+
+"We were dancing the Buffalo Dance," said Sun Bird. "My father was
+singing the Medicine Songs. The people were sitting near the fire. The
+fast war ponies were tied near the lodges, but many good hunting ponies
+were out on the plain. We left them there because our scouts did not see
+any signs of enemies. Only a few boys were watching those ponies. Well,
+while the people were dancing and singing we heard a great noise. There
+were many shouts. Then we heard many ponies running. Pretty soon a boy
+rode into the village. He was shouting, 'The Blackfeet! The Blackfeet!
+They have run off the ponies!' Then we jumped upon the war ponies, and
+were going out to chase the Blackfeet, but Curly Horse held us back.
+'Wait!' shouted Curly Horse. 'Perhaps it is a trick. Perhaps a great war
+party is about to rush into the camp. We will watch, and see what comes
+of it.' We knew that those were good words, and we waited to guard the
+camp. Well, no one came. Then we knew that the Blackfeet had gone away
+with the ponies. When it got light one of the boys came back. His pony
+fell down and died when he came into the village. He rode a long ways to
+get away from the Blackfeet. The other boy did not come back. The
+Blackfeet must have carried him away."
+
+"Who is he?" inquired White Otter.
+
+"He is Dancing Rabbit," Sun Bird told him.
+
+"His father was Lame Wolf. He was killed by our enemies, the Crows. His
+mother fell into the water, and was carried away by the fierce Water
+Monsters. Old Spotted Face is his grandfather. He feels very bad about
+this thing."
+
+"I know Spotted Face," said White Otter. "He is a great man. We must try
+to help him."
+
+"Perhaps we will find Dancing Rabbit in the Blackfeet camp," replied Sun
+Bird.
+
+The day had already ended, and as the evening shadows fell upon the camp
+the Minneconjoux began preparations for the great war dance. A large
+fire was lighted in the center of the village, and the entire tribe
+assembled to honor the men who were going to fight the Blackfeet. The
+warriors who had enlisted in the war party marched noisily about the
+camp, singing their war songs, and shouting boastful threats against
+their foes. As they finally approached the council fire they were
+greeted with wild yells of approval from the great company who awaited
+them. Then all subsided into respectful silence as Curly Horse and the
+principal chiefs of the tribe walked solemnly into the council circle.
+
+After the chief and his escort had taken positions, the warriors lined
+up before him and waited for him to address them. He looked upon them
+with pride and affection. Most of them were young men in the prime of
+their youth, and their bold, flashing eyes and fearless faces proclaimed
+their courage. They were led by Sun Bird who had organized the war
+party. He called White Otter to stand beside him, and the Minneconjoux
+murmured approval of the honor.
+
+"My brothers, I see that you are ready for war," said Curly Horse. "You
+are going to fight the Blackfeet. It is good. They are our enemies. They
+have carried off many of our ponies. You must bring them back. You must
+also bring some good Blackfeet ponies. Perhaps you will find Dancing
+Rabbit in the Blackfeet camp. Then you must carry him away. Spotted Face
+is waiting for him. I will not tell you how to fight. You are Dacotahs.
+It is enough. Now I will ask Rain Crow to give you some words."
+
+Before speaking, Rain Crow drew an ember from the fire and lighted the
+sacred medicine pipe. Then he puffed the smoke toward the heavens,
+toward the earth, and toward each of the four winds. He kept up a weird,
+high-pitched chant, and tossed small handfuls of dried sweet grass into
+the flames. It was evident that he was asking success for the war party,
+and the Minneconjoux watched him with grave interest. When he had
+completed the ceremony, he stood some time staring fixedly at the stars.
+Then he addressed the war company.
+
+"My friends, you have seen me smoke the great Medicine Pipe," he said.
+"It is good. It will help you. I have asked Wakantunka, the Great
+Mystery, to make you strong. I have asked the Good Spirits to help you.
+I have asked the Bad Spirits to do you no harm. I believe everything
+will be good. I believe you will overcome the Blackfeet. Listen, my
+friends, I hear the noise of many ponies running. Yes, yes, those are
+Sioux ponies. Yes, I hear some Blackfeet ponies. They are running toward
+the Minneconjoux camp. I see these brave young men riding behind them."
+
+His prophecy roused the Minneconjoux. Men, women and children united
+their voices in the war cry of the Dacotahs. It rang through the camp,
+and echoed off across the plain as a challenge to their foes. Rain Crow
+laughed, and shook his clenched hand toward the north.
+
+"Hi, you Blackfeet people, do you hear that noise?" he cried, excitedly.
+"Pretty soon you will know what it means. Then you will shake, and cry
+like young deer when they hear the wolf cry."
+
+His words again threw the people into a frenzy of excitement. The war
+cry again rang out across the plain, and before the sound had died away
+the warriors had assembled for the war dance. They formed a large circle
+about the fire, and stood awaiting the word from Sun Bird, their leader.
+A number of aged men had come forward with the war drums, and taken
+places near the dancers. A hush fell upon the vast assemblage, as the
+Minneconjoux watched eagerly for the interesting spectacle to begin.
+
+Then Sun Bird raised his voice in the familiar strains of the great war
+song, and the dance began. Keeping time with the solemn, rhythmical
+throbbing of the war drums, the dancers moved slowly about the fire
+chanting the boastful words of the war song, and flourishing their
+weapons. They had not circled many times about the fire, however, before
+they cast off restraint, and flung themselves into ecstasies of the
+dance with wild abandon. The war song was forgotten, as the dancers
+began to shout their boasts and threats against the powerful foes in the
+north. Each moment added to their excitement, and as the war drums
+throbbed in shorter, quicker beats, the dancers quickened their steps to
+hold the rhythm. Although each held his place in the circle, they had
+abandoned all attempt to dance in unison, and each man was interpreting
+the spirit of the dance to suit himself. All, however, kept time to the
+beats of the war drums, and the droning chants of the aged musicians. As
+quick and sinewy as mountain cats, the young warriors pranced about the
+fire in a frenzy of enthusiasm. Each tried to surpass his fellows in the
+mad antics of the dance, and their maneuvers brought yells of approval
+from the fascinated onlookers. At one moment the dancers would stoop
+near the ground, and dance forward with short, mincing steps, shading
+their eyes with their hands, as if searching for the trail of their
+foes. Then they would suddenly spring upright and announce their success
+with a piercing whoop. A moment afterward they would leap forward with
+war club raised to deliver the fatal stroke. Then they would begin a
+wild dance about the fallen foe. Some of the older warriors carried
+their coupsticks with the trophies won on former war expeditions. As
+they danced they shook these priceless possessions before the envious
+eyes of their tribesmen. Sometimes one of those dancers would drive his
+coupstick in the ground while he and several companions danced wildly
+about it, rushing up to touch it and reciting some great achievement as
+they did so. Then all would suddenly stand transfixed in their places
+while they raised their faces toward the stars, and united their voices
+in the piercing Dacotah war cry.
+
+The spectacle was weird and fascinating. The grotesque contortions of
+the dancers in the lurid glare of the fire, the fierce expression on
+their faces, the solemn throbbing of the war drums, the picturesque
+assemblage of spectators, the dim, ghostly outlines of the lodges in the
+shadows, the gaunt, wolf-like dogs skulking along the edge of the camp,
+made a striking impression on the memory.
+
+White Otter, as a famous war chief of the Ogalalas, was entitled to
+stand with Curly Horse and the prominent men of the tribe. He declined
+the honor, however, and took his place in the circle of dancers. The
+Minneconjoux watched him with approving eyes as he threw himself into
+the spirit of the dance. When the ceremony was finally brought to an end
+toward daylight, Curly Horse called the Ogalala to his lodge.
+
+"White Otter, you are a great warrior," said Curly Horse. "A great
+warrior must have a good horse. The Pawnees have killed your war pony.
+It is true that you have taken a good pony from those boastful people.
+Well, you are a Dacotah, and you must ride a Dacotah pony. I am going to
+give you one of my fastest ponies to ride to the Blackfeet camp. I have
+spoken."
+
+"Curly Horse, you have done a big thing," White Otter replied,
+gratefully. "You are a great chief, and I know that you have the fastest
+ponies. Yes, I will ride your pony to the Blackfeet camp."
+
+"It is good," declared Curly Horse.
+
+When White Otter told Sun Bird of the gift which he had received from
+Curly Horse, Sun Bird beamed with pleasure. He believed that there were
+few, if any, ponies in the entire Dacotah nation which possessed the
+speed and endurance of those owned by the great Minneconjoux chief.
+
+"Perhaps when you ride that horse you will leave me far behind," Sun
+Bird said, banteringly.
+
+"Well, my brother, if I get to the Blackfeet camp ahead of you I will
+leave some Blackfeet for you to kill," laughed White Otter.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER IV
+
+AWAY INTO THE NORTH
+
+
+As White Otter and Sun Bird came from the lodge at dawn they found a boy
+waiting with a fiery little piebald pony.
+
+"Curly Horse has sent you this pony," said the lad, as he passed the
+lariat to White Otter.
+
+"Tell the great chief Curly Horse that White Otter feels good about this
+thing," said the Ogalala.
+
+"I know that pony," Sun Bird told him. "It is very fast, but it is very
+wild. You must watch out for it."
+
+"I will ride it," White Otter assured him.
+
+He was no sooner upon its back, however, than the hot-tempered little
+beast began to rear and plunge in a manner that would have proved
+disastrous to a less expert rider. White Otter, however, refused to be
+thrown, and Sun Bird whooped with boyish glee as he capered wildly about
+the rearing pony and shouted encouragement to his friend. His shouts
+soon brought an appreciative audience from the lodges, and White Otter
+realized that his reputation as a horseman was at stake. He set his
+sinewy thighs more closely behind the shoulders of the plunging piebald,
+and pulled hard on the lariat which was twisted about the animal's lower
+jaw. The Minneconjoux soon saw that he was an expert, and they offered
+neither criticism nor advice. They watched with flashing eyes as horse
+and rider fought for supremacy. Then the pony suddenly whirled about and
+dashed among them, and they scattered like a covey of frightened quail
+to avoid the flying hoofs. The piebald bucked its way through the center
+of the camp, with a great company of men and boys racing along behind it
+and yelling at the top of their voices. Some women were broiling meat
+near the end of the village, and as they heard the wild commotion, and
+saw the pony racing directly toward them, they fled to the lodges in a
+panic, crying out that the Blackfeet had invaded the camp.
+
+In the meantime the piebald had collided with a number of other
+high-spirited ponies which were tied before the lodges of their owners,
+and several of the animals broke loose and imitated the mad antics of
+the piebald. In a few moments the entire camp was in an uproar. The
+barking of the dogs, the shouts of the men, the screams of the women,
+and the frightened cries of the children mingled in one great din which
+turned the village into bedlam.
+
+"It is bad," cried Curly Horse, as he watched the disorder from the
+entrance to his lodge. "Some Evil Spirit must have gone into that
+horse."
+
+The piebald, however, had finally exhausted itself. It stood upon
+trembling legs at the edge of the camp, with its head lowered in defeat.
+White Otter reached over, and gently stroked the sweaty neck. Then he
+raised its head and spoke sharply, and the piebald gave obedience to its
+master. He rode directly to the lodge of Curly Horse.
+
+"That is a bad horse," said Curly Horse. "I will give you another pony."
+
+"No, no!" cried White Otter. "I will keep this pony. It is fast, and
+strong. It will make a great war pony."
+
+"Well, I see that you can ride it, so I will say no more about it,"
+replied Curly Horse.
+
+The wild escapade of the little piebald had aroused the camp, and as the
+members of the war party finally rounded up the loose ponies, and
+assembled in the center of the village, the entire tribe gathered to
+witness the departure. When the gallant company was ready to leave,
+Curly Horse came forward to address them.
+
+"My brothers, you are about to ride away to the great Blackfeet camp,"
+he said. "Before you lies a long and dangerous trail. We have many
+enemies in that country. The Blackfeet are the strongest. They are very
+sly. You must be as brave as great Matohota, the bear, and as cunning as
+Tokala, the little gray fox. I see many brave warriors among you. I see
+Sun Bird, your leader. He is a great warrior. I see White Otter, the
+great Ogalala chief. I see Little Raven. He is very young, but he has
+done big things. I see Short Bear. He is very brave. I see Feather Dog.
+He is a great scout. I see Lean Wolf and Sitting Eagle. They have been
+on many war trails. I see many more brave warriors. It is a great war
+party. I believe you will do what you are setting out to do. I believe
+you will bring back many ponies. I will ask Wakantunka, the Great
+Mystery, to help you. I will ask our brother, Huya, the great war bird,
+to lead you to the Blackfeet camp. Go, my brothers, Curly Horse has
+spoken."
+
+"Curly Horse, you have given us big words," replied Sun Bird. "We will
+keep them in our hearts. We will remember that we are Dacotahs. It is
+enough. We will go."
+
+A few moments afterward the war party rode from the village. Many of the
+older warriors who were remaining behind to guard the camp accompanied
+the war party some distance across the plain. The old men, the boys, and
+the women and children gathered at the edge of the camp, singing the war
+songs, and calling upon Wakantunka to protect their warriors from the
+fierce and warlike Blackfeet.
+
+Sun Bird asked White Otter to ride with him at the head of the company.
+The youthful Minneconjoux war leader fully realized his responsibility,
+and he was glad to have the aid and counsel of the famous young war
+chief whom he had asked to accompany him.
+
+The war party was not a large one. It contained less than a third of the
+fighting men of the tribe. The Minneconjoux feared to send a larger
+force from the village, for they knew that their old enemies, the Crows,
+as well as several scouting parties of Blackfeet, had recently been seen
+within a day's travel of the Minneconjoux camp. They determined,
+therefore, to send a small force of picked warriors against the
+Blackfeet in the hope of recovering the stolen ponies, and learning the
+fate of the young Minneconjoux who had been carried away. The company
+chosen for the perilous undertaking was composed mostly of young
+warriors famous for their courage and fighting ability, and a few older
+veterans, like Lean Wolf and Sitting Eagle, whose mature judgment would
+check the reckless impetuosity of their younger companions.
+
+"Well, my brother, how do you feel about this thing?" Sun Bird suddenly
+asked White Otter, as they cantered along in advance of the war party.
+
+"The Blackfeet are very strong," White Otter replied, thoughtfully.
+"Wolf Robe, my grandfather, has told me about them. I have never fought
+those people. Wolf Robe says that they are braver than the Pawnees. Do
+you know about them?"
+
+"Yes, I have fought against them many times," Sun Bird told him. "They
+are the enemies of my people. They are brave. Many Buffaloes is their
+chief. He is a great warrior. He rides a mysterious war pony. It is as
+swift as the wind, and as black as the night. Its eyes shine like the
+little lights up there in the High Place. My people believe it must be a
+Medicine Pony. Curly Horse would give many good presents for that pony."
+
+At that moment their talk was interrupted by the appearance of a golden
+eagle, the war bird of the Dacotahs, which was circling slowly some
+distance toward the north. The superstitious Minneconjoux immediately
+accepted it as a good omen, as they recalled the words of Curly Horse,
+their chief.
+
+"See, there is Huya, the great war bird," they cried. "Curly Horse has
+sent him to lead us to the Blackfeet camp. Come, Huya, our brother, look
+about you, and show us where our enemies are hiding."
+
+The eagle, however, soon disappeared into the clouds, and the
+Minneconjoux cried, "Huya has gone up there to look around. He is
+looking for the Blackfeet. When he sees them he will fly over them, and
+show us where they are."
+
+As they moved farther from the camp Sun Bird began to take precautions
+against the possibility of encountering foes. Two scouts were detailed
+on either flank of the war party, and other riders dropped back to guard
+the rear. Sun Bird, White Otter and Little Raven rode some distance in
+front. Thus the courageous band of Dacotahs made their way across the
+great plain that extended for unknown leagues into the northward, the
+stronghold of the mighty Blackfeet nation.
+
+The day was two thirds gone when White Otter suddenly discovered a
+horseman on the summit of a low ridge far away toward the west. He
+immediately stopped and showed him to Sun Bird and Little Raven.
+Apparently aware that he had been seen, the distant rider began to ride
+rapidly in a circle. It was the signal for danger. Sun Bird appeared
+alarmed.
+
+"It is one of our scouts," he said, uneasily. "Running Dog and Lean Wolf
+went that way. That man is far away, but I believe he is Lean Wolf. He
+has seen something bad. Come, Little Raven, go and find out about it."
+
+As Little Raven raced away to meet the scout, the main company of riders
+came up. They, too, had discovered the rider on the ridge, and many of
+them were eager to go over there in the hope of finding foes.
+
+"No, that would be foolish," Sun Bird said, firmly. "We will wait here
+until Little Raven comes back and tells us about it. That scout has not
+called us. He is telling us that he has seen something. See, Little
+Raven is a long ways off. Pretty soon we will know about this thing. We
+must wait."
+
+"It is the only thing to do," agreed the famous warrior, Sitting Eagle.
+
+They watched anxiously as the scout turned his pony down the ridge, and
+rode to meet Little Raven. The distance made positive identification
+difficult, but most of them agreed that it was Lean Wolf. When the two
+riders finally met, the members of the war party watched them with
+breathless interest. They also watched the plain in all directions for
+the sudden appearance of foes. Then the warriors who had been loitering
+in the rear overtook them.
+
+"What has happened?" they inquired anxiously. "Who is over there?"
+
+"Lean Wolf has made the danger signal," explained their comrades.
+"Little Raven has gone over to find out about it. Did you see anything?"
+
+"We saw some wolves," replied the scouts.
+
+"Perhaps they were Pawnees," suggested Sun Bird.
+
+"No, we saw them running on the plain, and they were wolves," declared
+High Hawk, one of the warriors who had composed the rear guard.
+
+"See, Little Raven is coming back," White Otter told Sun Bird. "He is
+riding fast. He has something to tell us."
+
+"Lean Wolf has gone back to the ridge," said Sun Bird.
+
+They waited impatiently as Little Raven rode toward them at top speed.
+In the meantime the other rider was cantering toward the ridge. When he
+reached it he rode up the low slope and disappeared over the summit.
+
+"Lean Wolf has gone to watch something," declared his tribesmen.
+
+When Little Raven finally reached them they listened with eager
+attention while he told Sun Bird what he had learned.
+
+"That man is Lean Wolf," said Little Raven. "He found fresh pony tracks
+over beyond that ridge. They were going the way we are going. There were
+many ponies. They were riding ponies. There were no marks of lodge
+poles. Lean Wolf says it must be a war party. He does not know who they
+are. Running Dog is following the trail. Lean Wolf says that we must
+watch sharp when night comes. He says that we must stop pretty soon at
+the water place. Then he will know where to find us. Perhaps he will
+come when it gets dark. Perhaps he will go to find the camp of those
+people. My brothers, I have brought you the words of Lean Wolf."
+
+"It is good," replied Sun Bird. "My friends, you have heard the words of
+our brother, Lean Wolf. I believe that some of our enemies are over
+there behind that ridge. Lean Wolf says there are many pony tracks.
+There must be many riders. Perhaps it is a big war party. We must watch
+sharp. We will go ahead until we come to the water place. Then we will
+stop. Perhaps Lean Wolf will come there after it gets dark."
+
+As they were about to resume their way they saw one of the scouts from
+the east riding toward them. As he came nearer they recognized him as
+Feather Dog.
+
+"Why have you stopped?" Feather Dog inquired, curiously.
+
+"Lean Wolf found many pony tracks over there behind that ridge," they
+told him.
+
+"Perhaps those are the ponies which the Blackfeet took away," said
+Feather Dog.
+
+"No, the tracks are fresh," Sun Bird explained.
+
+"Then we must watch out," declared the famous scout.
+
+"Did you see anything over there?" inquired the Minneconjoux.
+
+"We saw some buffaloes, but they were far away," replied Feather Dog.
+
+After he had learned where his comrades intended to stop for the night,
+he immediately left them, and rode away to join his companion, a young
+warrior named Proud Hawk. At the same time the war party resumed their
+way toward the north. They were enthusiastic over the possibility of an
+early encounter with their foes, and Sun Bird had considerable
+difficulty in restraining some of the younger warriors who were eager to
+ride after the unknown horsemen. His rank as war leader, however, gave
+him authority to command. They accepted his orders, therefore, and
+followed him across the plain, chanting their war songs, and boasting of
+the deeds which they pledged themselves to perform.
+
+The evening shadows were already falling when the Sioux finally came in
+sight of the appointed camp site. It was a small water hole in the midst
+of a straggling growth of stunted trees. However, as it offered good
+pasturage for the ponies, it was a favorite stopping place. It marked
+the northern boundary of the Minneconjoux hunting grounds, and few of
+even the most venturesome hunters cared to risk going farther into the
+north unless accompanied by a strong force of their tribesmen. It was
+dangerous ground, as both the Blackfeet and the Crows were constantly
+roaming about those boundless northern plains.
+
+"Well, my friends, we will stop here until the next sun comes up," said
+Sun Bird, as he dismounted from his pony.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER V
+
+SIOUX SCOUTS
+
+
+Alert to their peril, the Sioux took every precaution against an attack.
+As the twilight slowly faded, and the night shadows settled upon the
+plain, the ponies were picketed in a circle about the camp site, and
+details of warriors were appointed to take turns in watching through the
+night. There was no fire, and the evening meal consisted of the usual
+war rations of dried buffalo meat and berries.
+
+The warriors who had been scouting behind the war party arrived at the
+camp site before dark, but the scouts who had ridden along the flanks
+failed to appear. The absence of Feather Dog and Proud Hawk, who had
+been scouting toward the east, caused considerable comment. The Sioux
+knew that some time might pass before Lean Wolf and Running Dog gained
+the desired information about the mysterious horsemen to the westward,
+but they were keenly curious to know what had detained Feather Dog and
+his companion.
+
+"Perhaps something bad has happened to them," suggested a young warrior
+named Many Feathers.
+
+"No, I do not believe it," Sun Bird declared, confidently. "Feather Dog
+is a great scout. He has been on many war trails. It is hard to catch an
+old wolf. Come, White Otter, you are a great war leader. Tell us how you
+feel about it."
+
+"My brothers, what Sun Bird says is true," declared White Otter,
+"Feather Dog is a great scout. Perhaps he is trying to find out about
+something. I believe he will come here."
+
+While they were talking the familiar bark of the little gray fox sounded
+from the eastward. It was speedily answered, and a few moments afterward
+Feather Dog and Proud Hawk rode to the camp site.
+
+"Well, my brother, what did you find?" Sun Bird asked Feather Dog.
+
+"We saw three scouts," replied Feather Dog. "They were far away and they
+did not see us. We hid behind a hill, and watched them a long time. Then
+we followed them. When it got dark we could not find them. They did not
+make a fire. I believe they were looking for enemies."
+
+"Do you know who they are?" Sun Bird inquired, eagerly.
+
+"No, we could not get close enough to find out about it," Feather Dog
+told him.
+
+"Which way were they going?" asked Sun Bird.
+
+"They were going the same way we are going, but they were far away
+toward the place where the sun comes up," replied the scout.
+
+"My brothers, you have heard the words of Feather Dog," said Sun Bird.
+"Our enemies are on two sides of us. We must be very cautious. We will
+wait here until it gets light. Perhaps Lean Wolf will come and tell us
+something."
+
+In the meantime the wily Sioux prepared themselves against the
+possibility of a sudden attack. The camp was surrounded by sharp-eared
+scouts who stationed themselves some distance out on the plain to listen
+for the approach of foes. The ponies were picketed inside the circle of
+warriors, who lay upon the plain with their weapons beside them.
+
+Sun Bird and White Otter, however, remained awake. The young
+Minneconjoux war leader was anxious to consult his friend concerning the
+perilous advance across the Blackfeet hunting grounds. The young
+warriors moved beyond earshot of their companions, therefore, and seated
+themselves to talk.
+
+"White Otter, I believe we are in danger," said Sun Bird.
+
+"It is true," White Otter replied, soberly. "There are many enemies in
+this country. I believe we will have some big fights before we get to
+the Blackfeet camp."
+
+Sun Bird was about to reply when they were startled by a strange
+rumbling noise toward the north. They listened a moment in anxious
+suspense, and then they leaped to their feet in alarm. It sounded like
+the hoofbeats of many ponies bearing down upon the camp site.
+
+"Call our people! Call our people!" cried Sun Bird, as he rushed to
+arouse the sleeping Minneconjoux.
+
+At that moment they heard the guards, who had been stationed on the
+plain, racing toward the camp. The picketed ponies were plunging and
+snorting, and the alarmed Minneconjoux were frantically untying the
+picket ropes.
+
+"The Blackfeet! The Blackfeet!" they shouted, excitedly.
+
+"Tatanka! Tatanka! The buffaloes! The buffaloes!" cried the sentinels
+who had been watching on the north side of the camp.
+
+Then the Sioux suddenly realized the truth. A vast herd of stampeded
+buffaloes were thundering down upon them. There was not a moment to
+spare. Springing upon the frightened ponies, the Sioux rode madly into
+the night to escape from the great mass of panic-stricken beasts behind
+them. The buffaloes were sweeping across the plain with the irresistible
+force of an avalanche, and the horsemen knew that only the speed of
+their ponies could save them. They kept close together, and rode at a
+breakneck pace. A false step meant destruction for horse and rider, and
+the Sioux made little attempt to guide the agile little beasts beneath
+them.
+
+Sun Bird and White Otter soon found themselves beside one another at the
+head of the company. The two ponies were running evenly, and it was
+apparent that neither of them had reached the limit of its speed.
+Nevertheless, they were well in advance of all the other ponies, and
+appeared to be increasing their lead with each stride.
+
+"That wild horse can run," laughed Sun Bird as his blood tingled with
+the excitement of the race. "Come, we will see what that pony can do."
+
+"Hi!" shouted White Otter, as Sun Bird suddenly took the lead.
+
+He had carefully estimated the ability of the little roan which Sun Bird
+rode, and felt sure that it was a worthy competitor for the piebald.
+Now, as Sun Bird applied his rawhide quirt, the roan began to show its
+speed. The piebald, however, quickly accepted the challenge, and
+although White Otter made no effort to force it the fiery little beast
+was soon at the shoulder of the roan. Then they raced madly through the
+darkness at a speed which few if any of the ponies in the great Dacotah
+nation could equal. Sun Bird was leaning forward and vigorously applying
+his whip. White Otter, however, was still allowing the piebald to make
+its own pace. Inch by inch it crept steadily forward until the roan's
+lead was cut to a nose length. Then, as he perceived that the roan had
+reached the limit of its powers, White Otter pulled heavily against the
+lower jaw of the piebald. He knew that a few more strides would take it
+into the lead, and regard for the pride of his friend made him unwilling
+to claim the victory.
+
+"Listen," he cried, suddenly. "Our people have turned around. Come, we
+must follow them."
+
+"No! No! I see what you are trying to do," Sun Bird cried, impatiently.
+"Come, let me see that pony run."
+
+Then the Minneconjoux struck the piebald a sharp blow with his quirt,
+and the marvelous beast bounded past him and raced away at a speed which
+astounded its rider. White Otter could scarcely believe that he was
+mounted upon a creature of real flesh and blood, for the piebald was
+rushing through the night at a pace which seemed beyond the powers of
+anything mortal. Carried away with enthusiasm, the Ogalala applied his
+quirt for the first time, and the piebald reached the limit of its
+speed. White Otter was forced to crouch close over the pony's neck to
+keep his breath. He was dazed by the pace at which he was being carried
+across the plain. It seemed as if he were flying through space on the
+wings of a tempest.
+
+"It must be a Medicine Horse," he whispered, superstitiously.
+
+When he finally succeeded in pulling the piebald to a canter, he found
+that he had completely lost Sun Bird, and the valiant little roan. He
+had also raced beyond sound of the buffalo herd. The piebald was
+breathing hard, but it showed no signs of exhaustion, and White Otter
+believed that its stamina was equal to its speed. Then, as he stopped to
+listen, he heard a signal some distance toward the east. He had heard
+the Minneconjoux turn in that direction as Sun Bird forced him into the
+last desperate sprint. It was evident, therefore, that having gained a
+sufficient lead upon the buffaloes, the Minneconjoux were circling back
+toward the camp site. He believed that the signal was from Sun Bird. To
+reassure him, White Otter replied with the bark of the little gray fox.
+
+"Hi! the buffaloes are coming," he said, as he heard the distant rumble
+of their hoof beats.
+
+Realizing that he was directly in their path, White Otter turned his
+pony toward the east, and rode off at a brisk canter. The buffalo herd
+was a long ways behind him, and he had little fear of being overtaken.
+There were other perils, however, which caused him more concern. He had
+heard Feather Dog tell of three mysterious riders to the eastward, and
+it was possible that they were scouts from a larger company. Therefore,
+White Otter determined to advance with caution. He believed that Sun
+Bird was close at hand, and his first thought was to find him. It was
+not long before he overtook him.
+
+"Ho, my brother, that pony did not come back as fast as he went away,"
+laughed Sun Bird.
+
+"It is foolish to run when the race is finished," replied White Otter.
+
+"That is the fastest horse I ever saw," Sun Bird declared,
+enthusiastically.
+
+"Do you believe that this pony could catch that great horse of Many
+Buffaloes, the Blackfeet chief?" White Otter asked, eagerly.
+
+"No," Sun Bird told him. "There is no Dacotah pony that can catch that
+horse."
+
+White Otter was not so sure about it. He could not believe that any
+horse had greater speed than the piebald. He kept his opinion to
+himself, however, as he did not wish to appear boastful before his
+friend.
+
+"Well, we got away from those buffaloes," said Sun Bird. "Now we must go
+back to the water place. We will find our friends there."
+
+Feeling sure that they had passed beyond the edge of the great buffalo
+herd, they began to circle toward the camp site. They were riding at an
+easy canter, when they were suddenly halted by the howling of a prairie
+wolf directly ahead of them. Determined to take no chances, they
+listened to convince themselves that the call was genuine.
+
+"Yes, it is Mayash," declared Sun Bird.
+
+As White Otter agreed that it really was a wolf which had raised the
+cry, they advanced on their way. However, they neither saw nor heard
+anything of the skulking gray prowler. It was evident that the wolf had
+slunk away at their approach.
+
+Then as they drew near the camp site the little piebald raised its head,
+and whinnied softly. The cautious young Sioux again stopped to
+investigate. They knew that the piebald had caught the scent of other
+ponies. While they waited, listening for a clew, the familiar Dacotah
+signal sounded within bow range of them.
+
+"It is good," said Sun Bird. "We have found our people."
+
+A few moments later they met the scout who had challenged them. He was
+Hollow Bear, a famous Minneconjoux hunter.
+
+"We have been watching for you," Hollow Bear told them. "There is much
+buffalo meat at the water place. Some of the buffaloes ran against the
+trees. Some fell into the water hole. Some were dead. Some we killed.
+There must have been many buffaloes in that herd. The ground is all
+broken up."
+
+"Has Lean Wolf come here?" Sun Bird inquired, eagerly.
+
+"No," replied Hollow Bear.
+
+They left the scout, and rode on toward the camp site. They found the
+members of the war party lying some distance out on the plain, as the
+camp site was littered with the bodies of dead buffaloes. The Sioux said
+that they had dragged several of the great beasts from the pool.
+
+"It is good that we got away," said Sun Bird. "Those buffaloes would
+have pounded us into the ground."
+
+"Well, there is good meat over there but we cannot use it," complained
+Sitting Eagle. "There are many robes, but there is little hair upon
+them."
+
+The Minneconjoux said that they had ridden far enough to get a safe
+distance in front of the herd, and then they had turned eastward and
+circled back to the camp site. They seemed rather curious to know why
+Sun Bird and White Otter had been so long returning. Those crafty young
+warriors, however, made no explanation. White Otter had no desire to
+proclaim the superiority of his pony, and Sun Bird was quite content to
+keep silent concerning the defeat of his famous little roan.
+
+Dawn was breaking when Running Dog, the companion of Lean Wolf rode in
+from the west. The war party crowded eagerly about him, asking for news
+of the horsemen whom he and Lean Wolf had followed.
+
+"We followed those people a long ways," Running Dog told them. "When it
+got dark we saw their fire. We went pretty close. Then we got down from
+our ponies. We turned their heads out of the wind so they would not
+call. I held the ponies. Lean Wolf crawled up near the fire. He was
+away a long time. Then he came back, and told me about those people.
+They are Crows. They are carrying meat. It is a great hunting party.
+They are going straight ahead. Lean Wolf says that you must watch sharp.
+Perhaps the Crows will send out scouts. Perhaps they will see you. Then
+there will be a fight. Lean Wolf says to go straight ahead. We will keep
+following the Crows until we find out where they are going. Then we will
+come and tell you about it. I cannot tell you any more."
+
+"It is good," replied Sun Bird. "Tell Lean Wolf that we will do as he
+tells us to do. We will keep a sharp watch for our enemies."
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER VI
+
+THE LONE RIDER
+
+
+After Running Dog had left them, Sun Bird made preparations to resume
+their advance toward the distant Blackfeet camp. Profiting by the
+warning which the scouts had brought, the cautious young war leader
+determined to make every provision for the safety of the war party. In
+addition to the two expert scouts riding along each flank, Sun Bird
+appointed a strong rear guard under command of Sitting Eagle. Then, as a
+further precaution against blundering into a trap, he asked White Otter
+and Little Raven to accompany him on a reconnaissance far in advance of
+the war party.
+
+"My brothers, you must wait here until we are far ahead," he told the
+Minneconjoux, as he rode away.
+
+Once beyond sight of their comrades, the three young scouts realized
+that their mission was a perilous one. They had little doubt that foes
+were on both sides of them, and it was possible that the Sioux war
+party had already been discovered. In that event there was great
+probability that crafty foes might circle around behind them, and
+separate them from their companions.
+
+"We must watch sharp," cautioned Sun Bird.
+
+He hoped to lead the war party within an easy day's travel of the
+Blackfeet camp. Then he planned to go into hiding and send scouts under
+cover of the darkness to locate the Blackfeet ponies and reconnoiter
+about the village. In the meantime Sun Bird realized the constant peril
+of colliding with his enemies. However, he relied upon the skill and
+daring of his scouts to give him timely warning of an approaching war
+party. As they were riding cautiously across the plain they again saw
+the war eagle circling high up toward the eastward. They stopped and
+watched it with great interest.
+
+"See! our brother, Huya, has come down out of the clouds," said Sun
+Bird. "I believe he is flying around over there to show us where our
+enemies are hiding."
+
+Soon afterward they saw a solitary horseman ride over a distant rise of
+the plain. He quickly discovered them, and immediately stopped his pony.
+For some moments he continued to watch them. Then he turned about and
+galloped from view. The Sioux also had stopped at sight of the
+stranger, and now that he had disappeared Sun Bird was at a loss to
+determine just what to do. The rider had been too far away to be
+identified, but his actions made it plain that he was neither Feather
+Dog nor Proud Hawk.
+
+"Perhaps he is one of the scouts that Feather Dog told about," suggested
+Little Raven.
+
+"Yes, that may be true," said Sun Bird. "White Otter, what do you make
+of it?"
+
+"I do not know what to make of it," acknowledged White Otter. "That man
+saw us. If he is a scout he will go to tell his people about us. It is
+bad. We must watch sharp."
+
+"We are scouts," said Sun Bird. "We must tell our brothers about this
+thing."
+
+"It is the best thing to do," agreed White Otter.
+
+"I will go back, and tell them about it," Little Raven volunteered.
+
+As the others agreed, he immediately turned his pony, and rode back to
+warn the war party. The main company of Minneconjoux had not come in
+sight, and Sun Bird and White Otter felt somewhat anxious for the safety
+of the youthful scout who had gone to meet his tribesmen. If a strong
+force of foes were loitering in the vicinity, it would be easy for them
+to intercept the solitary Minneconjoux. In spite of his youthfulness,
+however, Little Raven was an experienced warrior, and Sun Bird felt
+certain that he was competent to look after himself in an emergency.
+
+"Sun Bird, I believe that warrior is watching over the top of that
+hill," White Otter declared, suspiciously.
+
+"How do you know that?" Sun Bird inquired, anxiously.
+
+"I do not know it, but I believe I saw him peeping over the top of that
+hill," replied White Otter.
+
+They looked anxiously toward the grassy knoll, and strained their eyes
+to discover the skulking foe. The thought that he was watching made them
+uneasy, and they were eager to learn if their suspicions were true. It
+was some moments before White Otter finally became convinced.
+
+"Yes, I see him," he declared, positively. "He is peeping over the top
+of that hill. I see his head over there near that little bush. Watch
+sharp."
+
+"Yes, yes, I see his head," Sun Bird declared, a moment later.
+
+Convinced that the mysterious horseman really was watching them, they
+believed that he was waiting to learn if they were followed by a larger
+company. They had little doubt that he was a scout reconnoitering in
+advance of a force of their foes.
+
+"It is bad," White Otter said, uneasily. "That man saw Little Raven ride
+away. He will know that some one is following behind us. He will watch
+until our friends come. Then he will tell his people about it."
+
+"Yes, I see that it is bad," said Sun Bird. "Perhaps if we ride over
+there we can chase him away."
+
+"Come," White Otter proposed, recklessly.
+
+As they cantered briskly toward the knoll, the scout withdrew from
+sight. They felt quite sure that he had merely slipped farther down the
+opposite side of the ridge, and was still peering cautiously over the
+top. As they felt convinced that the horseman was alone, they had little
+fear of running into an ambush. When they got within arrow range,
+however, they approached with great care. As a precaution against
+attack, they separated and rode forward several arrow flights apart.
+Once at the foot of the slope they rushed their ponies to the top, and
+prepared to attack whoever confronted them. The scout, however, was
+nowhere in sight. They searched the plain in vain; the mysterious
+stranger had entirely disappeared. For a moment or so they were
+completely baffled. Then White Otter suddenly smiled, and nodded
+understandingly.
+
+"I know about it," he told Sun Bird.
+
+"Tell me," Sun Bird asked, eagerly.
+
+"That scout is very sharp," declared White Otter. "He has thrown his
+pony, and he is hiding over there in that high grass."
+
+"Yes, I believe that is where he is hiding," agreed Sun Bird.
+
+The spot where they believed the scout had concealed himself was many
+arrow flights away, and they knew it would be difficult to discover him
+at that distance. They felt almost certain, however, that he was still
+watching them from his new hiding place. The thought disturbed them. His
+persistence made them suspicious. They wondered if he were trying to
+fool them with some wily bit of stratagem.
+
+"Well, we will ride over there and chase him out," proposed Sun Bird.
+
+They had not gone an arrow flight, when a pony suddenly rose to its feet
+in the long grass. An instant later the rider sprang upon its back and
+raced away toward the south. He was too far in the lead to be easily
+overtaken, and besides, the Sioux realized that it would be perilous to
+follow him. They watched, therefore, while he sped across the plain.
+
+"We have chased him away--it is good," said Sun Bird.
+
+"Perhaps something bad will come of it," White Otter warned him. "If
+that man is a Blackfoot, he will tell his people about us. Then it will
+be hard to get near the camp."
+
+"Perhaps he is a Crow," Sun Bird suggested, hopefully.
+
+"Lean Wolf has told us that the Crows are over there," White Otter
+reminded him, as he pointed toward the west.
+
+"That is true," agreed Sun Bird. "But perhaps they sent scouts over here
+to look for the Blackfeet."
+
+White Otter remained silent. The appearance and the actions of the
+unknown scout had made him wary. He feared that the Sioux war party was
+in imminent danger of being surrounded and attacked by a superior force
+of foes. The possibility distressed him. There seemed little chance of
+avoiding the peril.
+
+"Sun Bird, I believe the best thing to do is to find our people," White
+Otter declared, finally. "Perhaps Lean Wolf and Feather Dog have told
+them something."
+
+"Yes, we will go to find our brothers," agreed Sun Bird.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER VII
+
+SMOKE SIGNALS
+
+
+As Sun Bird and White Otter rode cautiously over the ridge they saw the
+Minneconjoux war party moving slowly across the plain. As soon as the
+Minneconjoux discovered the two horsemen they immediately stopped to
+watch them.
+
+"Our brothers are as cautious as Hitunkasan, the weasel," laughed Sun
+Bird. "Well, we will tell them who we are."
+
+He raised his arms and clasped his hands together above his head. It was
+the sign for friends. Then the two scouts rode rapidly toward the war
+party. The Minneconjoux soon recognized them, and came across the plain.
+Little Raven raced on in advance of his friends.
+
+"Well, my brothers, I see that you have come back," he said, as he rode
+up to them. "It is good. What became of that scout?"
+
+"He has gone away," White Otter told him.
+
+"Did you kill him?" Little Raven inquired, eagerly.
+
+"No," replied Sun Bird. "When we rode after him he ran away."
+
+"Well, when he saw that you were Dacotahs he was frightened," Little
+Raven said, boastfully.
+
+While they were talking the war party came up to them. Sun Bird found
+Lean Wolf in command. He said that he had followed the Crows until he
+felt sure that they were going to their village. Then he left Running
+Dog to scout along the western flank of the war party, and returned to
+his companions.
+
+"Do you believe those people know about us?" Sun Bird asked, anxiously.
+
+"No," Lean Wolf assured him. "They are far away. The scouts did not go
+far from their people. Those Crows have killed plenty of game. They are
+afraid the Blackfeet will catch them, and take it away."
+
+"Have you seen Feather Dog?" inquired Sun Bird.
+
+"No," replied Lean Wolf.
+
+Then the Minneconjoux inquired anxiously about the solitary horseman.
+They said that Little Raven had told them about him, but they were eager
+to know who he was and where he had gone.
+
+"I cannot tell you that," Sun Bird told them. "He was far away, and we
+could not find out who he was. When we went after him he ran away.
+Perhaps Feather Dog will tell us about him."
+
+"Yes, yes, perhaps Feather Dog will find out about him," the
+Minneconjoux told one another, hopefully.
+
+"Well, my brothers, we will keep going ahead until we find a good place
+to stop," said Sun Bird. "Then we will wait for Feather Dog and Proud
+Hawk, and Running Dog. I believe they will have something to talk
+about."
+
+The day was little more than half gone, however, when they saw three
+riders approaching from the east. As the horsemen did not stop when they
+discovered the war party, the Sioux believed that two of the riders must
+be Feather Dog and Proud Hawk. As they came nearer they recognized them.
+
+"They are bringing a prisoner!" the Minneconjoux cried, excitedly. "It
+must be that scout. Hi! now we will see who he is."
+
+Then they were suddenly astonished into silence. The three horsemen had
+come sufficiently near so that the Minneconjoux could plainly discern
+the dress and features of the third rider. They could scarcely believe
+their eyes. They looked many moments before they were convinced. Then
+they were thrown into an ecstasy of joy.
+
+"See! See! It is Dancing Rabbit!" they shouted.
+
+The young Minneconjoux who had disappeared when the Blackfeet ran off
+the band of Sioux ponies was riding between Feather Dog and Proud Hawk.
+He was mounted on a pinto pony, and as Sun Bird and White Otter
+recognized it the mystery of the lone horseman was solved.
+
+"That is the pony we saw on the ridge," they told their friends.
+
+As the riders joined the war party, the Minneconjoux crowded eagerly
+about their young tribesman to learn the story of his adventures. He was
+a tall, sinewy youth of about fifteen winters, and he exhibited the
+dignity and reserve of a seasoned warrior.
+
+"Come, Dancing Rabbit, tell us how you come to be here," said Sun Bird.
+
+"My brothers, you are great warriors," replied Dancing Rabbit. "I am a
+young man. I cannot talk big. I will tell you that the Blackfeet carried
+me away to their village. Well, they treated me very bad. Then I found a
+chance to get away. I took this pony. It is fast. I got far ahead and
+the Blackfeet did not come up with me. I was going to our village. Then
+I saw three riders. I hid behind a ridge and watched them. They were far
+away, and I could not make out who they were. I said, 'Perhaps they are
+Blackfeet scouts. Perhaps they are Crows.' Then they rode after me and
+I ran away. Then I found Feather Dog. That is how I come to be here."
+
+"It is good," Sun Bird told him. "Your words are the words of a
+warrior."
+
+Feather Dog then explained how he had chanced to encounter the young
+Minneconjoux.
+
+"I was watching for our enemies," said Feather Dog. "Then I saw some one
+riding toward me. He was a long ways off, but he was coming fast. I rode
+my pony down into a gully to hide. Then I crawled up the side of the
+gully and peeped out. That rider was coming right where I was. I waited
+for him. When he got near I was going to jump up and shoot my arrows at
+him. Well, when I jumped up I saw who he was. Then we rode away and
+found Proud Hawk. Then we came here. That is all I know about it."
+
+"Did you see any Blackfeet?" Sun Bird asked him.
+
+"Yes, we saw four Blackfeet scouts," said Feather Dog. "Two of them were
+the same riders we saw before. This time they were close, and we could
+see them. Then we saw that they were Blackfeet. They were going straight
+ahead. I believe they are going to the Blackfeet village. I do not
+believe they know about us."
+
+"It is good," declared the Minneconjoux.
+
+"Yes, it is good," Sun Bird told them. "But we must watch out. Perhaps
+we will run into those scouts. The Blackfeet are sharp. If they see us
+it will be hard to get near the camp."
+
+"I will tell you something about that," Dancing Rabbit said, suddenly.
+"The Blackfeet have moved their lodges. Yes, they have gone away from
+the place where they were. They have gone over there in the shadow of
+the big mountains."
+
+The Minneconjoux were astounded at the announcement. They looked
+anxiously toward the northwest, where a long range of dim, shadowy peaks
+showed against the sky. They had expected to find the Blackfeet camp on
+the open plain, a number of days' journey toward the north. It had never
+occurred to their minds that the Blackfeet might have decided to change
+the location of the village. The words of Dancing Rabbit gave them
+several reasons for concern. First, they knew that they had already gone
+considerably out of their way. Again, they realized that to reach the
+new Blackfeet camp they must go far to the westward, where they would be
+in peril from their old enemies the Crows, as well as from the
+Blackfeet.
+
+"It is bad," declared Sun Bird.
+
+"It is bad," agreed his companions.
+
+As there seemed to be a difference of opinion as to just which way they
+should proceed, Sun Bird immediately called a council. Some of the
+Minneconjoux believed it would be safer to continue directly toward the
+north until they were about in line with the Blackfeet camp, and then
+turn toward the west. Others thought that they should move directly
+toward the new camp, and reach the mountains as soon as possible. There
+was considerable discussion.
+
+"My brothers, I believe the best thing to do is to turn toward the
+mountains," said Sun Bird. "Then if we see our enemies we can hide. If
+we go to the mountains we can climb high up, and look for the Blackfeet
+camp. It will be hard for the Blackfeet to see us. In the day we will
+hide in the timber. When it grows dark we will send scouts to find out
+about the ponies. Yes, my friends, I believe it is the best way to get
+near the camp."
+
+"My brothers, Sun Bird has given us good words," declared Lean Wolf. "I
+believe he has told us the best way to go to the Blackfeet camp. He is a
+good war leader. We must listen to his words."
+
+"My friends, what Lean Wolf says is true," said Feather Dog. "I believe
+it would be foolish to keep going ahead. I have told you about those
+four Blackfeet scouts. I believe they are going to the Blackfeet camp.
+Pretty soon they will turn this way. If we keep going straight ahead we
+will meet them. We must turn toward the mountains."
+
+"White Otter, how do you feel about this thing?" inquired Sun Bird.
+
+"My brother, I believe you have told the best way to go to the Blackfeet
+camp," White Otter replied, quietly. "I believe what Feather Dog says is
+true. If we keep going ahead perhaps we will run into those Blackfeet
+scouts."
+
+The opinion of the famous young Ogalala seemed to make a deep impression
+upon the Minneconjoux. It was only a few moments before those warriors
+who had suggested traveling toward the north changed their views, and
+agreed that it would be safer to ride toward the west.
+
+"Well, my brothers, I see that we all feel the same about this thing,"
+Sun Bird said, when all had agreed. "It is good. Come, we will ride
+toward those great mountains."
+
+Having made their decision, they rode boldly toward the west, ready and
+eager to meet their foes. It was late in the day, however, before they
+saw any evidence of them. Then they discovered a smoke signal some
+distance to the northward. Three columns of yellow smoke were ascending
+into the sky. The Sioux watched them with considerable uneasiness. They
+wondered if the Blackfeet scouts had discovered the war party.
+
+"No, I do not believe it," Feather Dog declared. "That smoke is a long
+ways off. Those scouts could not get so far ahead of us. It must be some
+one different."
+
+"Perhaps the Blackfeet are calling the scouts to the camp," suggested
+Proud Hawk.
+
+"No, the camp is not in that place," Dancing Rabbit told them.
+
+Convinced that the smoke signals did not concern them, the Sioux
+continued on their way. Feather Dog said that there was a good camp site
+with plenty of grass and water a short distance ahead of them, and as
+the day was drawing to a close they determined to stop there for the
+night. They had not ridden far, however, before they saw three more
+columns of smoke rising a considerable distance to the westward of the
+first signals.
+
+"It must be the Blackfeet," declared the Minneconjoux. "It is the danger
+signal. They are telling their people about us."
+
+"Perhaps they have found the Crows," suggested Feather Dog.
+
+A few moments later a horseman swept into view, far to the westward. He
+was riding at a furious pace, and seemed to be coming directly toward
+them. They had little doubt that it was Running Dog, and they watched
+him in great suspense.
+
+"Running Dog is coming to tell us about something big," they cried.
+
+As the Minneconjoux scout came nearer, he began to point excitedly
+behind him. The Sioux looked anxiously toward the west, expecting to see
+a company of their foes racing along on the trail of Running Dog.
+
+"Perhaps the Crows are coming, we must be ready," said Sun Bird.
+
+Roused by the possibility, the hot-tempered Minneconjoux immediately got
+ready to fight. Then, as Running Dog finally came within shouting
+distance, they began to cry out and question him.
+
+"Are the Crows coming?" they inquired eagerly.
+
+"No! no!" shouted Running Dog.
+
+Then he dashed up to them. As he threw the panting pony upon its
+haunches, his companions gathered about him to learn what had sent him
+racing across the plain.
+
+"Listen, my brothers, I will tell you about it," said Running Dog. "The
+Crows and the Blackfeet are getting ready for a big fight over there
+behind that ridge. I was watching them. Then I saw you coming that way.
+Then I came over here to tell you to hold back. Do you see that smoke up
+there? Well, the Blackfeet are calling the people to fight. You must
+watch sharp. I saw many warriors over there behind that ridge."
+
+The words of Running Dog were received in silence. The Minneconjoux
+looked gravely into each other's faces. They realized the peril to which
+they were exposed, and they waited for the war leaders to speak. All
+eyes were turned upon Sun Bird.
+
+"My friends, Running Dog has told you about those warriors over there
+behind that ridge," said Sun Bird. "We are in great danger. Something
+must be done. We must try to find a place to hide in until it grows
+dark. Then perhaps we can get away from here. If we meet our enemies we
+must fight them. We are Dacotahs. It is enough."
+
+"My brother, I will tell you about a place to hide in," said Dancing
+Rabbit. "I found it when I was running away from the Blackfeet. It is a
+place where water used to run. Now it is dry. It is deep. It goes a long
+way across the plain. We can ride into it, and no one will see us."
+
+"Where is this place?" Sun Bird asked anxiously.
+
+"Over there," said Dancing Rabbit, pointing toward the north.
+
+"Come, my brothers, we will go to this place, and hide until it grows
+dark," proposed Sun Bird. "I will ask three scouts to go over to that
+ridge to watch those warriors. I will ask White Otter to be the leader."
+
+"I will go," White Otter volunteered, eagerly.
+
+Most of the war party desired to accompany the Ogalala on his perilous
+reconnaissance. Having been appointed as leader, however, White Otter
+was privileged to choose his companions.
+
+"I will ask Lean Wolf and Little Raven to go with me," said White Otter.
+
+"I will go with you," replied Lean Wolf.
+
+"I will go," Little Raven said, eagerly, as his eyes flashed with boyish
+enthusiasm.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER VIII
+
+A CLOSE CALL
+
+
+A few moments afterward White Otter and his companions rode away on
+their hazardous mission. Running Dog had told them that the rival war
+parties were a considerable distance beyond the ridge, and the Sioux
+hoped to come in sight of them without being discovered. White Otter
+turned directly toward the south, as he believed that there was less
+chance of encountering hostile scouts in that direction. He rode a
+considerable distance before he finally turned toward the west, and
+approached the ridge.
+
+"The Crows have passed this place--the Blackfeet came the other
+way--they will not pass the Crows--the Crows will not come back
+here--this is a good place--we will stay here and watch," White Otter
+told his companions.
+
+"It is good," agreed Lean Wolf, the famous Minneconjoux scout.
+
+They approached the ridge with great caution. The sun had already set,
+but they knew the long summer twilight would give them ample time to
+discover their foes. As they finally came within bow range of the grassy
+slope, they stopped and spent many moments watching for signs of lurking
+foes. Then they suddenly heard the sounds of battle.
+
+"The Crows and the Blackfeet are fighting--it is good," White Otter
+declared, grimly.
+
+Then, while Little Raven remained with the ponies, White Otter and Lean
+Wolf crawled slowly up the ridge. When they reached the top they parted
+the long grass and looked anxiously across the plain. The Crows and the
+Blackfeet were preparing to fight. They were a long distance from the
+ridge, however, and the Sioux felt in little danger. They watched with
+keen interest while their foes began the preliminaries of battle. The
+experienced Sioux scouts read the situation at a glance. It was evident
+that the Crows had been overtaken and brought to a stand by the
+Blackfeet war party. The Crows had dismounted and taken shelter behind
+their ponies, and the Blackfeet were riding about them in a great
+circle, but keeping safely beyond bow range. There was much yelling and
+singing of war songs, but no real attempt at actual fighting.
+
+"The Blackfeet are cautious," White Otter said, scornfully. "They are
+making a great noise, but I do not see them killing any Crows. If they
+rushed in there and frightened those ponies the Crows would have a hard
+time of it."
+
+"It is true," agreed Lean Wolf.
+
+The Crows, however, appeared to be considerably stronger in numbers, and
+it was apparent that the Blackfeet were cautious about beginning the
+attack. The Sioux were surprised at the small size of the Blackfeet war
+party. They had expected to see a much larger force of those savage foes
+engaged against the Crows.
+
+"I do not see many Blackfeet--it is bad," said White Otter. "They have
+left many warriors to guard the camp."
+
+When Running Dog brought word of the impending battle, the Sioux had
+hoped that the Blackfeet would send a sufficient force against the Crows
+to weaken the defense of the Blackfeet camp considerably. White Otter
+realized, however, that the hope was false. It was evident that the
+crafty Blackfeet had left most of their fighting men at the village.
+
+"Perhaps they are waiting for our people to come for those ponies," said
+Lean Wolf.
+
+"Yes, I believe it is true," agreed White Otter.
+
+He had barely ceased speaking when the Blackfeet suddenly began their
+attack. Whooping fiercely, they rushed upon their foes and made
+desperate attempts to frighten and stampede the Crow ponies. The Crows,
+however, had prepared for just such a maneuver, and the alarmed ponies
+were unable to break away. In the meantime the Crows sent a deadly
+volley of arrows against the Blackfeet, and the latter recoiled before
+the fierceness of the defense. A number of warriors had already toppled
+from their ponies, and it was evident that the loss somewhat discouraged
+their comrades. For a moment they wavered, and then a reckless war
+leader on a pinto pony rallied them and led them against their foes.
+
+They rode close up to the Crows, and fought with great bravery. The
+Crows, however, had the double advantage of numbers and shelter, and the
+Blackfeet soon realized that they were fighting a losing fight. The
+fearless war leader had already forfeited his life to his gallantry, and
+a number of his followers were either killed or wounded. In return, the
+Blackfeet had done little harm to the Crows, except for killing a few
+ponies, and wounding one reckless young Crow who had rushed from behind
+his horse to attack them. Thoroughly disheartened, they became
+demoralized and raced away in bad disorder.
+
+"See, see, the fierce Blackfeet are running like rabbits!" laughed White
+Otter.
+
+"The Crows are too strong for them," declared Lean Wolf.
+
+Encouraged by their success, many of the Crows leaped upon their ponies
+and set out after the fleeing Blackfeet. The maneuver threw the
+Blackfeet into a rage. They immediately wheeled about and raced back to
+meet their pursuers. Their boldness confused the Crows, and before they
+had recovered from their surprise the Blackfeet were upon them. As less
+than half of the Crow force had joined in the pursuit, the advantage had
+suddenly turned to the Blackfeet. Smarting with the humiliation of their
+recent repulse, the Blackfeet determined to take full vengeance upon the
+misguided company of Crows who had blundered into their power.
+
+"They have fooled the Crows," White Otter cried, excitedly. "They will
+wipe out that war party before their friends can come to help them."
+
+"The Blackfeet are sharp," laughed Lean Wolf.
+
+The Sioux suddenly realized that the wild flight of the Blackfeet had
+been a clever bit of stratagem to deceive their foes. It was apparent
+that the trick had been entirely successful, as the Blackfeet seemed to
+have the Crows entirely at their mercy.
+
+"See, those poor Crows are calling their brothers to help them," White
+Otter told Lean Wolf.
+
+Finding themselves completely overwhelmed by the ferocity and strength
+of their crafty foes, the Crows were thrown into a panic. They had lost
+all sense of order and discipline, and each man was fighting for
+himself. Their one idea appeared to be to escape from the relentless
+Blackfeet, who seemed determined to annihilate them. Aware that they
+were facing destruction, the Crows were making frantic appeals to their
+comrades to come to their assistance. The latter abandoned the pack
+ponies and the hard-earned supply of meat and rode wildly across the
+plain to assist their tribesmen.
+
+"Now we will see a big fight," White Otter cried, enthusiastically.
+
+"Yes, yes," agreed Lean Wolf, as his eyes flashed with excitement.
+
+The Crows who had come to the aid of their tribesmen fought with great
+courage, but the Blackfeet were thoroughly aroused and they seemed
+invincible. The Sioux were amazed at the bravery and skill displayed by
+those hardy warriors from the north. Having duped their foes and gained
+the advantage, they appeared determined to follow it through to a
+complete victory.
+
+Although the Crows still outnumbered them, the Blackfeet pressed the
+attack with a reckless ferocity that completely demoralized their foes.
+Time after time the Crows tried to rally from their confusion, but each
+attempt was the signal for a still fiercer assault by the Blackfeet.
+
+"Hi, the Blackfeet know how to fight!" White Otter whispered, tensely.
+
+The fighting was at close range, and many riderless ponies gave evidence
+of the result. The Sioux witnessed many deeds of heroism. They saw a
+wounded Crow warrior on a white pony ride recklessly at three of his
+enemies, and overcome all three of them before a company of Blackfeet
+finally killed him. They saw a Blackfoot dash among a company of
+astounded Crows and rescue his comrade who had been desperately wounded.
+They saw many thrilling hand-to-hand encounters which were fought to the
+death. They saw dismounted warriors running boldly into the thick of the
+fight in the hope of killing an enemy and securing his horse. Most of
+them were killed. A few achieved the exploit, and galloped from the
+encounter in triumph.
+
+Then as the light began to fade from the plain the Crows made a final,
+heroic effort, and broke through the circle of foes. They raced directly
+toward the spot where the Sioux were watching, and behind them thundered
+the Blackfeet.
+
+"Run to the ponies!" cried White Otter, as he realized the peril which
+threatened them.
+
+They scrambled wildly down the ridge and called to Little Raven to bring
+the ponies. He had already guessed that something was wrong, and he lost
+little time in joining them.
+
+"The Crows and the Blackfeet are almost here!" White Otter told him, as
+he sprang upon the piebald.
+
+As the plain offered no hiding place in the vicinity of the ridge, White
+Otter realized that their only chance of escape lay in open flight. He
+also knew that to turn toward the north would arouse the suspicions of
+the crafty Blackfeet. He raced away toward the east.
+
+"Keep low on your ponies, and perhaps our enemies will not know who we
+are," he advised his companions.
+
+Crouching low upon the necks of their ponies, the Sioux rode furiously
+to gain a safe lead upon their foes. Night was almost at hand, and the
+dusky twilight shadows made it difficult for their enemies to identify
+them. When the Crows finally dashed recklessly over the top of the
+ridge the Dacotahs were many arrow flights away. At sight of the three
+racing ponies, however, the Crows apparently became suspicious, and
+fearful of being led into another trap. They immediately swerved from
+their course, and rode toward the north.
+
+"That is bad," cried White Otter, who had been risking his neck to
+glance back at his foes. "If they go that way they may find our people."
+
+"I believe our friends will be watching sharp," Lean Wolf assured him.
+
+Then they heard the wild, ringing whoops of the Blackfeet, and White
+Otter again turned his head to look back. The heavy shadows had almost
+wiped out the ridge, and it was difficult to see the company of riders
+who were racing recklessly down the steep grassy slope. He made them
+out, however, and was relieved to see them turn sharply and follow the
+Crows. The latter had entirely faded from sight in the dusk.
+
+"The Blackfeet did not see us," White Otter told his companions. "See,
+it is almost dark! We will ride slower."
+
+They could barely see an arrow flight before them, and they believed
+there was slight probability of being seen. In fact they had high hopes
+that the Blackfeet had entirely failed to notice them. Feeling quite
+safe, therefore, they reined in the ponies and rode at a slow canter.
+They heard the Blackfeet yelling savagely farther toward the north and
+had little doubt that they were still pursuing the demoralized Crows.
+
+"They are making a great noise--it is good," declared Lean Wolf. "Our
+people will hear them."
+
+"Yes, it is----" began White Otter.
+
+"Listen!" interrupted Little Raven.
+
+They heard the sound of galloping ponies directly ahead of them, and
+they barely had time to turn aside before the unknown riders passed them
+in the darkness. Then the nervous little piebald whinnied, and the
+strangers instantly stopped.
+
+"Come!" cried White Otter, as he turned toward the north, and raced away
+at top speed.
+
+"I believe those riders are the Blackfeet scouts that Feather Dog told
+us about," said Lean Wolf. "Little Raven, your ears are as sharp as the
+ears of Tokala, the fox."
+
+They rode some distance before they finally stopped to listen for sounds
+from their foes. Night had fallen, and the great plain was cloaked in
+darkness. For a long time the stillness was unbroken. It seemed as if
+the Blackfeet had at last yelled themselves into silence. The Sioux
+wondered if the Crows had escaped.
+
+"I do not believe the Blackfeet came up with them," Lean Wolf said,
+softly. "When it got dark I believe the Blackfeet turned back to round
+up those ponies that the Crows left behind."
+
+"Then we must watch sharp," declared White Otter. "Perhaps they will
+ride over here and find us."
+
+Then they heard the wail of a prairie wolf a short distance to the
+westward. There was something about it that made them suspicious. As a
+precaution against being betrayed to prowling foes, White Otter
+dismounted and seized the nose of the little piebald. The other ponies
+also showed signs of nervousness, and their riders quickly followed the
+example of the cautious Ogalala. Then the three anxious Sioux scouts
+stood beside their ponies and strained their ears to catch a warning of
+danger. Three times the dreary call of the prairie wolf sounded from the
+west, and each time the suspicions of the Sioux grew stronger. They felt
+almost certain that it was a signal from their enemies.
+
+"That does not sound like Mayash, the prowler," White Otter declared
+suspiciously.
+
+"It is different," agreed Lean Wolf.
+
+At that moment they heard the cry repeated in the north. They knew at
+once that it was an answer to the signal from the west. It was evident
+that foes were on two sides of them, and the Sioux realized that they
+were in a serious predicament.
+
+"It is bad," whispered White Otter. "I believe Blackfeet scouts are out
+there in the darkness. They are close. We must watch out."
+
+"Do you believe they know us?" Little Raven inquired, anxiously.
+
+"No," White Otter told him. "Lean Wolf, how do you feel about it?"
+
+"I believe it is the Blackfeet," said Lean Wolf. "We must wait here
+until we see what they are going to do. If we hear them coming here then
+we will ride away before they find us."
+
+"It is the best thing to do," White Otter told him.
+
+They listened anxiously to learn if their foes were actually
+approaching. They heard nothing to give them a clew. The signals had
+ceased, and the calm, brooding night hush had fallen upon the plain. The
+ponies, however, were still uneasy, and their actions made the Sioux
+suspicious. They feared that other horses were close at hand, and the
+possibility kept them alert.
+
+"Listen, my brothers," White Otter whispered, anxiously. "Something is
+moving over there."
+
+The sound had come from the westward, and whatever had made it seemed to
+be well within bowshot. The piebald was shaking its head, and struggling
+to free its nose from the grasp of the Ogalala. The other ponies also
+showed signs of recognition, and the Sioux felt sure that a horse was
+moving slowly through the darkness. They listened with bated breath,
+ready to jump upon their ponies and flee into the protection of the
+night at the first hint that they had been discovered. They waited in
+trying suspense while the rider slowly passed them, and the short, quick
+footfalls of his pony died away in the distance.
+
+"He has gone," whispered Little Raven.
+
+"Sh!" cautioned Lean Wolf.
+
+Another pony was approaching. Again the Sioux waited in breathless
+suspense, while the unseen rider moved cautiously through the darkness
+within bow range of them. This time, however, they were not so
+fortunate. For some reason the rider stopped directly opposite them. Was
+he suspicious? the Sioux wondered. The piebald tried to call, but White
+Otter strangled the cry in its throat. Then the strange horse winded the
+Sioux ponies, and whinnied its challenge. The next moment a voice
+questioned cautiously from the night. The Sioux remained silent. Each
+stood grasping the mane of his pony, ready to mount and race away on the
+instant of discovery. Then the horse which had already passed answered
+the challenge, and the suspicions of the second rider were allayed. A
+moment later the Sioux heard him riding on his way. They remained
+silent, however, listening anxiously to learn if a third rider was
+following after those who had passed.
+
+"There are no more," Lean Wolf whispered, finally.
+
+"It is good," replied White Otter.
+
+They waited until they felt sure that their enemies had gone beyond
+hearing, and then they mounted and rode carefully toward the east. As
+the mysterious scouts had gone toward the north, the Sioux determined to
+make a wide detour to avoid an encounter. They walked the ponies until
+they had gone a safe distance, and then they urged them into a brisk
+canter, and began to circle back toward the north to reach the
+Minneconjoux war party.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER IX
+
+ANXIOUS MOMENTS
+
+
+After White Otter and his companions left them, the Minneconjoux war
+party rode cautiously toward the north to find the hiding place of which
+Dancing Rabbit had told. They realized the peril to which they were
+exposing themselves, and Sun Bird took every precaution to guard against
+blundering upon the Blackfeet. Running Dog and a companion scouted to
+the westward, Feather Dog and Proud Hawk again reconnoitered toward the
+east, and Sun Bird, Sitting Eagle and the lad, Dancing Rabbit, rode in
+advance.
+
+"How far away is this place?" Sun Bird asked, anxiously.
+
+"It begins over there where you see those little trees," replied Dancing
+Rabbit, as he pointed to a few stunted cottonwoods some distance ahead
+of them.
+
+"Yes, I know about that place," declared Sitting Eagle. "I have been
+there. It is a good place to hide in."
+
+Dancing Rabbit said that the shelter toward which they were moving was a
+deep ravine which formerly had been the bed of a good-sized stream. It
+extended directly across the plain from west to east, and went to the
+very foothills of the great mountains. The young Minneconjoux declared
+that, once in the bottom of that deep ravine, the war party would be
+invisible to their foes, and it would be possible to remain hidden until
+they reached the timbered ridges.
+
+"It is good," declared Sun Bird. "When we get to that place we will hide
+in the day, and travel toward the mountains when it gets dark."
+
+Before they reached the ravine, however, they saw a horseman ride
+cautiously over the ridge to the westward. When he reached the bottom of
+the slope he rode rapidly to and fro, and appeared to be trying to
+attract the attention of Sun Bird and his companions. It was the danger
+signal, and the Minneconjoux watched him with grave attention. When he
+saw that he had attracted their notice, he stopped and raised his right
+hand above his head. Then he suddenly swept it downward and backward. It
+was the signal to approach. Although he was a considerable distance
+away, Sun Bird and Sitting Eagle agreed that it was Running Dog.
+
+"He wants to tell us about something," said Sun Bird. "Go, Dancing
+Rabbit, and bring us his words."
+
+The lad immediately galloped away to meet the distant Minneconjoux
+scout. Sun Bird and Sitting Eagle decided to wait where they were until
+he returned. In a few moments they saw the war party riding toward them.
+The Minneconjoux had discovered Running Dog, and were watching Dancing
+Rabbit as he raced across the plain. When they reached Sun Bird,
+however, they concealed their curiosity and waited for the youthful war
+leader to tell them what had happened.
+
+"My friends, that scout over there is Running Dog," said Sun Bird. "He
+has made the danger signal. Then he called us. Dancing Rabbit has gone
+to bring us his words. We will wait here until he comes back."
+
+It was not long before they saw the eager lad racing toward them with
+the message from Running Dog. He was urging his pony to top speed, and
+the Sioux believed he brought word of great importance. Running Dog had
+already disappeared into the dusk.
+
+"I have brought you the words of Running Dog," said Dancing Rabbit, as
+he stopped beside Sun Bird.
+
+"Tell me what he says," replied Sun Bird.
+
+"Running Dog says that the Crows and the Blackfeet are fighting,"
+declared Dancing Rabbit. "He says it is a big fight. He says the Crows
+are stronger than the Blackfeet. Running Dog says that is bad. He says
+there must be many Blackfeet at the village. He believes that a big war
+party may be coming this way. He says we must go to that gully and hide.
+He says he will come there when it gets dark. Those are the words of
+Running Dog."
+
+"Come, lead us to that place," said Sun Bird.
+
+The glow was fading from the western sky and the twilight shadows were
+gathering upon the plain when the Sioux finally reached the dry stream
+bed. It offered an ideal hiding place, and Sun Bird looked upon it with
+delight.
+
+"See, my brothers, this great gully leads far over there toward the
+mountains," he said. "If we follow it, I do not believe our enemies will
+be able to find us."
+
+"It is good," declared the Minneconjoux.
+
+They picketed the ponies in the bottom of the ravine, and then most of
+the war party crawled up the steep bank to watch the plain. It was
+almost dark, and they wondered why Feather Dog and Proud Hawk had failed
+to join them. They looked anxiously toward the east in the hope of
+seeing the scouts. Then they suddenly heard a chorus of piercing yells
+and whoops far across the plain and they looked toward the sounds. The
+noise seemed to come from the vicinity of the ridge, and some distance
+to the southward.
+
+"Perhaps our enemies have crossed the ridge; we must watch sharp," Sun
+Bird cautioned them.
+
+The light was almost gone, and it was difficult to see far across the
+plain. The wild commotion continued, however, and, guided by the sounds,
+the Sioux strained their eyes in an attempt to learn the cause of the
+disturbance. Then some of them discovered what appeared to be a company
+of horsemen racing along parallel with the ridge.
+
+"It is the war party!" they cried. "It must be the Blackfeet. They are
+riding this way!"
+
+"See, see, some one is chasing them!" said Sitting Eagle.
+
+They made out another company of riders who were apparently pursuing the
+horsemen ahead of them. The discovery filled the Sioux with alarm. It
+appeared as if both the Blackfeet and the Crows were racing toward the
+ravine. In a few moments, however, darkness closed down and blotted them
+from sight. Then the wild tumult suddenly ceased, and the Sioux were
+left without a clew to the location of their foes.
+
+"It is bad," Sun Bird declared, uneasily. "Those riders were coming this
+way. Now we do not know what has become of them. Perhaps they are in
+this gully. Perhaps they will come here. We must watch and listen."
+
+The Minneconjoux heard him in silence. They were bewildered by the
+sudden turn of fortune which shattered their fancied security and
+threatened to expose them to their foes. The possibilities were
+alarming. Thoroughly alive to their own peril, they were even more
+concerned for the safety of their absent comrades. They wondered what
+had happened to White Otter and his companions. Where were Feather Dog
+and Proud Hawk? Why had Running Dog failed to warn them of the
+approaching war parties? Had those brave scouts been trapped and
+destroyed by their foes? The Sioux weakened at the thought.
+
+Sun Bird was particularly disturbed at the possibility of harm having
+come to his friend, White Otter, and his brother, Little Raven. The hot
+fighting blood surged to his brain as he pictured his tribesmen in the
+hands of his foes. He soon dismissed that possibility, however, for he
+knew that neither White Otter nor Lean Wolf would ever permit
+themselves to be taken alive. The thought suggested the still more
+alarming possibility that they had been killed. Sun Bird, however,
+refused even to consider it.
+
+"No, my friends, I do not believe anything bad has happened to those
+great scouts," he told his companions. "We will wait for them. They will
+come."
+
+He had barely finished speaking when one of the Sioux ponies whinnied
+softly, and a moment afterward they heard a pony scramble up the side of
+the ravine a short distance to the eastward, and gallop off across the
+plain.
+
+"Perhaps it is one of our friends," Sun Bird whispered, hopefully.
+
+He crawled to the plain, and imitated the bark of the little gray fox.
+The Sioux listened anxiously. Many moments passed. There was no
+response. Then Sun Bird again sounded the familiar signal. Still there
+was no reply. The Sioux became suspicious. They feared that a hostile
+scout had blundered upon their hiding place. Sun Bird, however, felt
+more hopeful. He knew the wariness of the Dacotah scouts, and he still
+hoped that the mysterious rider was one of his friends. He repeated the
+sharp, quick bark of the little gray fox, and waited eagerly for a
+reply. This time he got it. It came from the direction where he had
+heard the hoofbeats of the retreating pony.
+
+"It is good," said Sun Bird. "That rider is a friend."
+
+A few moments later they heard ponies approaching the ravine. Determined
+to be prepared for an emergency, the Sioux lay along the top of the
+ravine, with arrows fitted to their bows, ready to repulse an attack.
+The precaution proved to be unnecessary, however, as the riders were
+Feather Dog and Proud Hawk.
+
+"My brothers, you have come--it is good," said Sun Bird.
+
+The scouts who had returned from the eastward said that they had seen
+nothing of their foes, although they felt quite sure that they had heard
+several ponies pass them in the darkness. They knew nothing of the
+thrilling chase which their companions had witnessed from the ravine,
+and were much interested in the recital.
+
+"Did you see anything of White Otter?" Sun Bird inquired, eagerly.
+
+"No, we did not see any one," replied Feather Dog.
+
+Sun Bird appeared serious. The continued absence of White Otter and his
+companions worried him. He began to fear that they really had met with
+some misfortune. The idea startled him.
+
+At that moment some of the Minneconjoux declared that they heard some
+one approaching the ravine. Sun Bird held his breath to listen, and his
+heart filled with hope. Perhaps White Otter and Little Raven had come.
+The possibility thrilled him. He waited in trying suspense for the
+signal which would verify his hopes.
+
+"Perhaps it is an enemy," suggested a warrior who was lying beside him.
+
+Sun Bird remained silent. For the moment the Blackfeet and the Crows had
+been crowded from his mind by the hope of seeing White Otter and Little
+Raven. He had entirely forgotten the peril which threatened the Sioux
+war party. The warning of his tribesman aroused him to his
+responsibility. He was the war leader. It was his duty to think first of
+the welfare and safety of the men who had entrusted themselves to his
+leadership. He at once dismissed White Otter and Little Raven from his
+thoughts, and again became the stern, impassive war leader.
+
+"I do not hear anything," he told the man beside him. "What did you
+hear?"
+
+"It sounded like ponies," replied the warrior.
+
+"Were they running?" inquired Sun Bird.
+
+"No, it sounded as if they were standing in one place, and stamping
+their feet," declared the Minneconjoux.
+
+They listened a long time, but heard nothing. The warriors who had given
+the warning, however, felt certain that they had not been mistaken.
+
+"Perhaps it was Tatanka, the buffalo, or Tatokadan, the antelope," said
+Sitting Eagle.
+
+"No, no, it sounded like ponies," declared his friends.
+
+Then as they continued to listen they heard the cry of a prairie wolf,
+far to the westward. The weird serenade lasted some moments, and then
+all was still. The call had sounded entirely natural, but the Sioux
+believed it was a clever imitation by their foes. They wondered if it
+had any connection with the sounds which had been heard near the ravine.
+They realized that Blackfeet scouts might have followed the stream bed
+in search of their foes, and that the wolf call was a signal for them to
+return to the war party. The Sioux listened anxiously for the sound of
+hoof beats going toward the west. When they failed to hear them they
+were completely baffled. Had the sharp-eared warriors who claimed to
+have heard the ponies been deceived? It seemed unlikely. Then what had
+become of the mysterious riders? The entire Minneconjoux war party was
+listening breathlessly, and it seemed impossible for the horsemen to
+steal away without being heard. Then a new possibility presented itself.
+
+"Perhaps they are Crows," the Sioux told one another.
+
+The thought threw them into a flurry of excitement. They realized that
+if Crow scouts had come that far to the eastward, the entire Crow force
+might follow them along the ravine. As a precaution against a sudden
+attack, two Sioux scouts moved cautiously along the stream bed on foot
+to watch for the approach of enemies. They had barely gone beyond
+bowshot, when the Sioux heard the bark of the little gray fox directly
+in front of them. It filled them with joy, and they lost little time in
+replying.
+
+"Ho, my brothers, we have been waiting out here a long time," said
+Running Dog, as he rode into the ravine with Big Crow, his fellow scout.
+
+"Did you see White Otter?" Sun Bird immediately inquired.
+
+"I do not know," replied Running Dog. "We saw three riders racing over
+the ridge ahead of the Crows. They were far away. We could not tell
+about them. Perhaps they were our brothers."
+
+"What became of them?" Sun Bird asked, eagerly.
+
+"They went that way," said Running Dog, as he pointed toward the east.
+"The Crows did not follow them. They came this way. Then the Blackfeet
+came after them."
+
+"Did you hear Mayash, the wolf?" inquired Sitting Eagle.
+
+"Yes, we heard his call, but he did not make it," Running Dog told him.
+"It was the Blackfeet. I believe the Crows got away from them. Perhaps
+they have turned this way. That is why we stayed out there in the
+darkness. We did not know who was in this place."
+
+"Did you hear us?" Sun Bird asked, anxiously.
+
+"No, we did not hear you," said Running Dog. "Our ponies stopped and
+tried to call, and we knew that some one was in this place."
+
+Running Dog told his tribesmen that he and Big Crow had seen the end of
+the fight, and the desperate race between the Crows and the Blackfeet.
+When the Crows turned toward the ravine the Sioux scouts had been
+greatly alarmed for the safety of the Minneconjoux war party. However,
+as they realized that they could not carry a warning to their friends,
+they had determined to follow their enemies, and learn the result of
+the wild chase across the plain. With the coming of darkness they had
+lost sight of both the Crows and the Blackfeet, but they were sure that
+both war parties had entered the ravine a considerable distance to the
+westward.
+
+"Perhaps the Crows came this way--perhaps they crossed the gully and
+went straight ahead," said Running Dog. "Anyway, I believe they fooled
+the Blackfeet. We heard the Blackfeet scouts riding near us. I believe
+they were trying to find the Crows."
+
+"If the Crows came this way they must be near us," said Sun Bird.
+
+"We did not hear anything----"
+
+Running Dog was interrupted by the sound of a familiar voice from the
+darkness.
+
+"Ho, Dacotahs!"
+
+"It is White Otter!" cried Sun Bird.
+
+"Yes, my brother, I am here," replied White Otter, as he suddenly
+appeared at the top of the ravine.
+
+The Ogalala was alone and on foot, and Sun Bird feared that he had met
+with disaster. He was about to ask for Little Raven, and Lean Wolf, when
+White Otter turned toward the plain and called softly. A moment
+afterward his companions came forward with the ponies. Their appearance
+filled Sun Bird with joy. He found it difficult to conceal the emotion
+which welled up in his heart at the safe arrival of his beloved
+companions.
+
+"My brothers, you have come--I feel good again," he said feelingly.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER X
+
+REBELLIOUS PONIES
+
+
+The Minneconjoux were eager to learn how White Otter had been able to
+get so near them without being heard. They were equally curious to know
+how he had located them.
+
+"I will tell you about it," said White Otter. "We were over there on
+that ridge watching the fight. Then the Crows ran away. They came right
+toward us. We rode away ahead of them. When it got dark we met some
+riders. Then we turned this way. We heard some one riding past us. Then
+we came on. We went over there near where the Blackfeet are, when we
+heard Running Dog and Big Crow. We did not know them. They were coming
+this way. We followed them. Then they stopped. We waited. Then we heard
+the call of the little gray fox. That made us feel good. But we were not
+sure about it. Then we heard those riders come into the gully. Then I
+crawled up to find out about it. That is how we found you."
+
+"White Otter, you are a great warrior," Sun Bird declared,
+enthusiastically.
+
+Then as the war party was complete he called a council of war to decide
+what should be done. The Sioux were agreed that the wisest plan would be
+to remain where they were until daylight.
+
+"It is the best thing to do," said Sun Bird. "We know that the Crows and
+the Blackfeet are somewhere along this gully. It would be foolish to
+move toward them. When it gets light we will try to find out where they
+are."
+
+He posted scouts in and about the ravine to watch for the approach of
+foes, while the war party lay down to sleep. There was no water, and
+both the Sioux and their ponies suffered from thirst. The ponies were
+particularly restless, and spent most of the night pawing the dry earth
+in the bottom of the ravine. However, Dancing Rabbit assured his
+companions that there was a good pool a half day's journey to the
+westward, and Sitting Eagle confirmed his words.
+
+"Perhaps the Blackfeet are at that place," suggested Sun Bird.
+
+The night passed without incident, and at the first hint of dawn the
+scouts hurried in from the plain. They said that they had neither seen
+nor heard anything of their enemies. It seemed, therefore, that either
+the Crows and the Blackfeet had continued their mad race through the
+night, or else both had hidden themselves to wait for daylight.
+
+"Perhaps the Crows got away and the Blackfeet have gone back to their
+village," suggested one of the Minneconjoux.
+
+His companions had serious doubts of it. As soon as it was light enough
+to see across the plain, they crawled up the side of the ravine and
+looked anxiously for signs of their foes. As they were nowhere in sight,
+the Minneconjoux began to hope that the cheerful prophecy of their
+comrade was correct. Still, they feared it would be dangerous to rely
+upon it.
+
+"We must be cautious," said Lean Wolf. "There are some good hiding
+places over there. Perhaps the Blackfeet are waiting for the Crows to
+show themselves."
+
+There were a number of scattered stands of cottonwoods dotting the plain
+to the westward, and the Sioux realized that one of them might shelter
+their foes. They were particularly suspicious of the little grove which
+Dancing Rabbit pointed out as the spot which sheltered the pool.
+
+"We must watch that place," declared White Otter.
+
+"Yes, we will stay here and watch," said Sun Bird. "If our enemies are
+near us, pretty soon we will see their scouts."
+
+As time passed, and they saw nothing to indicate that either the Crows
+or the Blackfeet were anywhere in the vicinity, the Sioux began to
+discuss the advisability of moving cautiously along the bottom of the
+ravine. The ponies were growing frantic from thirst and were raising
+considerable dust by their wild pawing in the stream bed. Some were
+beginning to snort and whinny, and the Sioux feared that the
+unmanageable little beasts might betray them to their foes. Then, too,
+their own throats were parched and aching, and they were eager to reach
+the little pool as soon as possible.
+
+"We will go," Sun Bird said, finally.
+
+They believed that it would be folly to expose scouts upon the open
+plain, and they determined to keep to the shelter of the ravine until
+they were opposite the grove which sheltered the pool. The ponies
+appeared to understand that they were moving toward water, and the Sioux
+found it almost impossible to hold them in control. For some moments the
+fractious little beasts created the wildest sort of disorder, and the
+Minneconjoux looked anxiously upon the heavy dust cloud that rose above
+the ravine.
+
+"It is bad," Sun Bird declared, uneasily, as he watched White Otter
+struggling to subdue the hot-tempered piebald.
+
+When the ponies had finally been brought under subjection, several
+warriors who rode quieter horses dismounted and crawled to the top of
+the ravine to search the plain. A heavy pall of dust hung over them, and
+they wondered if it had been seen by their foes. The latter, however,
+were nowhere in sight, and the Sioux knew that unless they were watching
+from one of the groves they must have ridden from the locality.
+
+"We saw no one," said the scouts when they overtook their companions.
+
+"It must be that our enemies went away while it was dark," said a young
+warrior named Painted Bird.
+
+The Sioux, however, were suspicious. They determined to take nothing for
+granted. As they approached the first of the little groves they sent
+scouts along the ravine ahead of the war party to watch the plain and
+guard against blundering into their foes. They were riding at a fast
+pace, and they realized that they would arrive opposite the pool before
+the day was half gone.
+
+"It is bad," said White Otter. "We cannot go to that place until it
+grows dark. If we get near it, it will be hard to hold the ponies."
+
+"It is true," agreed Sun Bird. "I am thinking about it."
+
+He had planned to move along the ravine until he was opposite the pool,
+and then wait until he could send scouts to reconnoiter the grove under
+cover of the night. He, too, realized, however, that it might be
+impossible to control the ponies once they got that near to the water.
+The riders were already having considerable difficulty in restraining
+them, and Sun Bird feared that at any moment they might stampede and
+dash wildly up the side of the ravine.
+
+"We are raising a great dust," Lean Wolf said, soberly. "If our enemies
+are watching they must see it."
+
+"Yes, yes, it is bad," Sun Bird replied, impatiently. "We must stop."
+
+He galloped to the head of the company and called upon the Minneconjoux
+to halt. Many of them found difficulty in obeying the command. The
+fiery, half-wild ponies had apparently scented the water and it seemed
+to have driven them mad. In spite of their expert horsemanship the
+Sioux were unable to control them. Although by sheer strength and skill
+they finally brought them to a stop, they found it impossible to quiet
+them. Crazed with their desire for water, the frantic beasts plunged and
+reared and kicked and squealed and raised such a wild commotion that the
+Sioux were thrown into a panic. They were certain that if enemies were
+lurking at the pool they must surely have seen the dust and heard the
+noise created by the unmanageable ponies.
+
+"It is useless to wait here," said some of the more impulsive warriors.
+"We may as well go ahead and see what comes of it."
+
+"No, that would be foolish," declared Sun Bird. "If the Blackfeet are
+hiding in that place they will see the dust. Perhaps they cannot hear
+the noise. Anyway, if we stay in this gully they will not know who we
+are. They must send scouts over here to find out about us. They will not
+do that until it gets dark. Then it will be easy to fool them."
+
+"Those are good words," White Otter agreed, heartily.
+
+"Yes, that is the way I feel about it," declared Lean Wolf.
+
+"It is the only thing to do," Sitting Eagle cried, angrily. "Are we
+like the women who are afraid of the war ponies! Are we like old men who
+have no strength in their arms? Does a Dacotah run to his enemy for
+water when he is thirsty? Come, my brothers, we are Dacotahs. We are
+men. Hold those horses. Throw them down. Kill them if you cannot
+overcome them. It is better to go against our enemies on foot than to
+let those foolish ponies carry us to our deaths. Sun Bird is a good war
+leader. You have heard his words. They are good. We will listen. We will
+stay here until it is safe to go ahead."
+
+The words of the famous Minneconjoux scout created a deep impression
+upon his comrades. He was a man whose daring achievements made him the
+idol of his people, and his counsel was seldom disputed. His daring
+challenge to their ability and manhood instantly roused the fighting
+blood of the Sioux, and they immediately accepted the task of bringing
+the fractious ponies under subjection. It was not easy, but the
+Minneconjoux were on their mettle, and, as White Otter had already won
+control over the piebald, they persevered until the ponies were finally
+quieted.
+
+Order having been restored, many of the Sioux crept up the side of the
+ravine to watch the distant stand of cottonwoods which they hoped to
+reach at dark. They were suffering keenly from thirst, which had been
+greatly aggravated by their desperate struggle with the ponies. Some of
+them chewed mouthfuls of grass in an attempt to suck moisture into their
+burning throats. Others placed small pebbles beneath their tongues to
+increase the flow of saliva. All of them, however, bore their discomfort
+without complaint. It was a common occurrence for a warrior to endure
+both hunger and thirst, and they had been trained from infancy to suffer
+in silence.
+
+"See, the day is passing," Sun Bird said, cheerfully, as the sun sank
+slowly toward the west. "Pretty soon we will be under those trees,
+drinking that water."
+
+"It is good," the Minneconjoux murmured, thickly.
+
+Although they watched closely until the grove finally faded from sight
+in the evening shadows, they saw nothing of their foes. They were quite
+convinced that the Crows had eluded the Blackfeet, and that the latter
+had gone to their village to boast of their victory.
+
+"We will go," Sun Bird said, as darkness at last fell upon the plain.
+
+They moved eagerly along the ravine, and once more the parched ponies
+tried to bolt from the control of their riders. The latter were still
+smarting from the rebuke of Sitting Eagle, and they soon brought the
+unruly little beasts under subjection. However, it was impossible to
+quiet them. They snorted and squealed and whinnied, and the Sioux
+realized that it was hopeless to try to reach the grove without being
+heard.
+
+"Well, if our enemies are over there they know that we are coming,"
+Sitting Eagle declared, irritably.
+
+"It is true," agreed Sun Bird. "But they do not know who we are. If the
+Blackfeet are over there they will take us for Crows. If the Crows are
+over there they will take us for Blackfeet. It is good. When we get near
+that place we will stop. Then we will send scouts over there to find out
+about it. If our enemies are there we will find out who they are. Then
+we will run away before they find out about us."
+
+"It is good," said Sitting Eagle.
+
+When they finally came opposite the grove which contained the pool they
+again fought the desperate ponies into submission and made heroic
+efforts to keep them quiet. Then Sun Bird selected White Otter and
+Sitting Eagle to go forward on foot to reconnoiter the cottonwoods.
+
+"Those great scouts will find out about it," he boasted, as the two
+famous Dacotahs slipped away as noiselessly as shadows.
+
+It seemed a long time to the anxious Sioux before White Otter finally
+returned and said that the grove was free from foes. The announcement
+filled them with joy. Throwing caution to the winds, they rode out of
+the ravine and raced recklessly toward the cottonwoods. Once at the pool
+it was impossible to restrain the ponies, and the riders were forced to
+wait until the frenzied animals had satisfied their thirst. Then the
+Sioux plunged their feverish faces into the roily water and drank as
+eagerly as the ponies.
+
+"Ah," Sun Bird sighed, contentedly, as he finally rose to his feet.
+
+Having drunk their fill, the ponies became quiet and turned to graze
+upon the scant growth of grass about the pool. The Sioux, however,
+remained alert. Their noisy arrival at the pool had made them uneasy.
+They had vague, disturbing premonitions of danger, and they feared to
+linger in the grove.
+
+"If our enemies come and surround this place it will be hard to get
+away," Sun Bird said, anxiously. "Come, we will go."
+
+At that moment one of the ponies whinnied, and the Sioux were astounded
+to hear it answered from the plain. Then they heard a horse galloping
+toward the west. They turned to one another in alarm.
+
+"Our enemies have caught us!" they cried.
+
+"Wait," White Otter counseled, calmly. "I believe that rider is a scout.
+Perhaps he is alone. We will listen. If he is with a war party then we
+will hear signals. If he keeps quiet there is nothing to fear."
+
+"It is good," agreed the Minneconjoux.
+
+They listened in tense silence. Then, as the moments passed and they
+heard nothing to suggest the approach of their foes, they felt
+considerably relieved. Still they were somewhat fearful about leaving
+the timber. They realized that either the Crows or the Blackfeet might
+have surrounded the grove and sent the scout forward as a decoy to lure
+them upon the open plain.
+
+"Well, my brothers, that rider knows that some one is at this pool,"
+declared Sun Bird. "If he is a scout he will tell his people about it. I
+believe if we wait here something bad will come of it. If we go away our
+enemies will not know that the Dacotahs were here. If we expect to get
+to the great Blackfeet camp we must not let our enemies know about us."
+
+The Sioux instantly saw the wisdom of his words and agreed that it
+would be safer to abandon the grove and continue toward the mountains.
+Dancing Rabbit told them that if they continued to ride through the
+night, daylight would find them close upon the foothills.
+
+"It is good--we will go," said Sun Bird.
+
+They left the grove and moved slowly across the plain in the direction
+of the ravine. The ponies were quiet and docile, and it seemed as if the
+clever little beasts were attempting to make amends for the anxiety and
+effort they had caused their riders a short time before. As the war
+party drew near the ravine Sun Bird ordered a halt while he sent scouts
+forward to reconnoiter. They soon returned and declared that the way was
+clear.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XI
+
+AN UNUSUAL ADVENTURE
+
+
+Upon reaching the ravine the Sioux turned toward the west and rode until
+daylight. Then they found themselves almost within the shadows of the
+great massive peaks which towered against the sky. The low timbered
+ridges of the foothills were still nearer at hand, and the air was
+scented with fragrance from the dense stand of pines.
+
+"It is good," declared Sun Bird. "Pretty soon we will come to those
+great mountains. Then we can hide from our enemies until we find the
+Blackfeet camp."
+
+Having failed to find any further evidence of their foes, they began to
+feel more secure. They gave little thought to the horseman who had
+blundered upon them at the pool, for it appeared certain that both the
+Crows and the Blackfeet had withdrawn from the vicinity. Encouraged by
+the thought, the Sioux determined to continue toward the mountains.
+
+When they reached the first ridge of foothills, Sitting Eagle, who was
+familiar with the region, led the way along a game trail. It wound
+upward from the plain, and brought them to a grassy meadow with a cold
+bubbling spring in one corner of it. As it offered an attractive camp
+site, the Sioux determined to stop.
+
+After the ponies had been picketed and the camp established, several
+young warriors went into the woods with their bows to look for game. It
+was not long before they returned with a fat, young, white-tail deer.
+
+As the camp site was a considerable height above the plain and well
+hidden by the heavy stand of timber, the Sioux determined to risk making
+a small fire. Then they broiled the deer meat and ate with keen
+enjoyment. They had suddenly relaxed. For the moment the hardships and
+perils of the war trail were forgotten. They talked and laughed and told
+stories, and became as carefree and happy as boys. The merry feast
+continued well into the night. When it finally ended, the sentinels took
+their positions about the camp while their companions wrapped themselves
+in their robes and lay down to sleep.
+
+Shortly after daylight the Sioux descended to the plain and rode
+northward along the base of the ridge. They kept within bowshot of the
+timber so that they might conceal themselves if they found signs of
+their foes. Dancing Rabbit declared that the Blackfeet camp was a number
+of days' travel farther to the northward, and for the present at least
+the Sioux had little fear of blundering into those foes. However, they
+believed that the Crows might be somewhere in the vicinity and they
+determined to keep a sharp watch.
+
+"We will keep going ahead until we get near the Blackfeet camp," said
+Sun Bird. "Then we will stop. Then some of us will climb those great
+mountains and look for the Blackfeet lodges."
+
+For two days they traveled cautiously along the edge of the foothills
+without seeing anything to arouse their suspicions. Game, however, was
+abundant. They saw countless numbers of buffaloes, great herds of elk,
+and many deer and antelope.
+
+"This is a good place to live in," declared White Otter.
+
+"Yes, there is plenty of game here," replied Sun Bird.
+
+Then they again saw Huya, the war bird. The eagle was soaring high up
+near the snowclad peaks. The Sioux watched it with superstitious
+premonitions. They believed it was an omen--a warning that foes were
+near at hand.
+
+"See, Huya has come back to tell us about our enemies," said Sun Bird.
+"I believe we are near the Blackfeet. We must watch out."
+
+Disturbed by the appearance of Huya, the war bird, and determined to run
+no risk of betraying themselves to their foes, the Sioux decided to seek
+shelter in the foothills while scouts climbed the ridges to look for the
+Blackfeet camp. While the war party moved cautiously along the edge of
+the plain, Sun Bird sent scouts into the timber to look for a suitable
+camp site. At the end of the day they found a sheltered grassy park high
+up near the summit of the ridge, and the Sioux determined to make it
+their rendezvous until they were ready to advance upon the Blackfeet.
+
+The following day, at dawn, Sun Bird and White Otter left the war party
+and set out along the summit of the ridge to look for traces of the
+Blackfeet camp. Other scouts rode cautiously along the edge of the plain
+to watch for signs of the Crows or scouting parties of Blackfeet.
+
+Although Sun Bird and White Otter had a splendid view of the plain they
+failed to discover any evidence of the Blackfeet camp. When they finally
+saw a large herd of buffaloes grazing contentedly a considerable
+distance to the northward, they became convinced that the hostile camp
+was far beyond their view.
+
+"It is useless to look any more," declared White Otter. "The Blackfeet
+camp is a long ways off."
+
+"Yes, it must be so," said Sun Bird. "We will go back and tell our
+friends about it."
+
+"Wait," White Otter cried, eagerly. "Here is the trail of great
+Matohota."
+
+Sun Bird hastened to his side and saw the fresh tracks of a grizzly
+bear. The trail led down into the timber. The footprints were of unusual
+size, and the Sioux studied them with flashing eyes. The Dacotahs
+considered killing great Matohota an exploit worthy of the bravest
+warrior, and only second in importance to killing an enemy. A necklace
+of bear claws was accepted as positive proof of the hunting ability and
+courage of the wearer. Although both Sun Bird and White Otter had killed
+several of those fierce beasts, they became enthusiastic at the idea of
+securing the great claws of the bear which had recently passed.
+
+"If we kill Matohota we will have something to show our friends," said
+White Otter.
+
+"He cannot be far away," Sun Bird declared, hopefully. "Come, we will
+follow him."
+
+They followed the trail down through the timber, and about half way
+down the ridge it brought them within sight of another open grassy park.
+Aware that those places were favorite feeding places for elk and deer,
+the expert young hunters realized that the grizzly might have gone there
+to feast upon the carcass of one of those animals.
+
+"We must be careful," White Otter warned, softly.
+
+They approached the spot with great caution, peering anxiously between
+the trees to discover the grizzly. As the wind favored them, they hoped
+to get within bow range without alarming their game. However, when they
+finally came in full view of the park the bear was nowhere in sight.
+They were keenly disappointed.
+
+"Matohota has gone on," said Sun Bird.
+
+"We will see," replied White Otter.
+
+They stole to the edge of the timber and looked anxiously across the
+grassy meadow. The trail of the bear was plainly visible through the
+high grass. As they followed it with their eyes they suddenly discovered
+something lying in the far corner of the park. One glance told them that
+it was dead, but it was some time before they could make sure what it
+was. Then they looked at each other in astonishment. They had suddenly
+identified the object as a dead pony. The discovery made them cautious,
+and they sank noiselessly into the bushes to watch.
+
+"It is mysterious," whispered Sun Bird. "How did that pony come here?"
+
+"We will try to find out about it, but first we must watch," replied
+White Otter.
+
+They watched a long time, searching the borders of the meadow with great
+care. It was difficult to learn much about the dead pony from where they
+were, but they saw that the carcass had been partly eaten, and they
+believed it had been there for some time.
+
+"It is good," said White Otter. "Matohota comes here to eat that pony.
+If we wait here we will see him."
+
+"Perhaps he is sleeping over there in those bushes," suggested Sun Bird.
+
+They knew that after gorging itself with meat, a bear often would lie
+down to sleep near the carcass, so that it would find a meal close at
+hand when it again became hungry. It seemed probable, therefore, that
+the great creature which they sought might be concealed somewhere within
+bow range of them. They looked carefully along the edge of the woods,
+hoping to discover a sign which would tell them where the bear had
+entered the timber. The undergrowth appeared undisturbed, and, as the
+trail faded out at the spot where the grass had been trampled down about
+the carcass, there seemed little chance of learning what they wished to
+know unless they made their way to the dead pony.
+
+"We must go over there and find out about it," Sun Bird proposed,
+finally.
+
+"Come," said White Otter.
+
+They moved through the timber as stealthily as wolves, and when they
+drew near the carcass they again stopped to watch and listen. Then they
+circled to find the trail of the bear. They came upon a wide game trail
+leading down from the park, and as they stooped to study it they
+discovered many tracks. Among them were the footprints of the great gray
+timber wolves, and the clumsy round paw-marks of a mountain lion. The
+latter track was fresh, and it was evident that the great cat had passed
+over the trail since daylight. The tracks of the bear, however, were
+missing.
+
+"Matohota did not come this way," said Sun Bird.
+
+"Perhaps he is close by," White Otter said, cautiously. "We will try to
+find out where he is. Then we will go and look at that pony. It came
+along this trail. See, here is a track."
+
+He showed Sun Bird a faint and indistinct impression of a hoof at one
+side of the trail. It was some days old, and offered them little
+information.
+
+"Come, we will find out what has become of Matohota, and then we will
+come back here and find out about this thing," said White Otter.
+
+They soon came upon the trail of the bear. As White Otter had guessed,
+it circled around the edge of the park, and led back toward the top of
+the ridge. It was plain, therefore, that the bear had its den somewhere
+up there among the ledges, and came to the park to feed during the night
+or at daylight.
+
+"Now we know what to do," declared White Otter. "First we will go and
+look at that pony. Then we will go down that trail and try to find some
+more tracks. Then we will come back to this place and wait for
+Matohota."
+
+"It is good," said Sun Bird.
+
+When they reached the dead pony they were surprised to see the shaft of
+an arrow protruding from behind its shoulder. For a moment or so they
+studied it in silence. Then White Otter knelt, and drew his knife.
+
+"Perhaps we will find out what we want to know," he said.
+
+He extracted the arrow and examined it with great care, and then he
+passed it to Sun Bird. The latter studied it a long time. He noted that
+the shaft was of willow and feathered along the sides for almost a
+hand-width. The arrow was considerably longer than those used by the
+Dacotahs, and the point was made of an unusual red flint. It was the
+deeply notched model of the war arrows.
+
+"Well, what do you make of it?" White Otter inquired, as Sun Bird
+finished examining it.
+
+"It is not a Dacotah arrow," replied Sun Bird. "It is not a Crow arrow.
+It was not made by the Blackfeet. I do not know who made it."
+
+"I cannot tell you about it," said White Otter, as Sun Bird returned the
+mysterious arrow. "I do not know about the people who live in this
+country. I know the Crow arrows. I have seen the Blackfeet arrows. I do
+not know the others."
+
+"I will show it to Sitting Eagle and Lean Wolf," said Sun Bird. "Perhaps
+they will know about it."
+
+As there seemed to be no other way of learning its identity, they
+dismissed the arrow from their minds and turned their attention upon the
+dead pony. It was a pinto, and appeared to have been dead a number of
+days. They had little doubt that, having been wounded on the plain, it
+had followed the game trail to the spot where it died.
+
+"Perhaps the man who owned that pony rode up here to get away from his
+enemies," suggested Sun Bird.
+
+"Perhaps," said White Otter.
+
+Then, as the day had almost ended, they realized that if they intended
+to remain and watch for Matohota it was time to find a hiding place. As
+there was not sufficient breeze to stir the leaves, White Otter held a
+moistened finger above his head to learn the direction of the air
+current. What there was seemed to come from the north side of the park.
+As the bear was expected to approach from the west, and the bait was on
+the east side of the park, the Sioux decided to hide themselves to the
+southward of the dead pony. Then if the uncertain breeze should suddenly
+shift to another quarter they would still be to the leeward of the bear.
+
+"Matohota is strong," cautioned White Otter. "We must drive our arrows
+deep into his body. We must not go too far away."
+
+They concealed themselves in the undergrowth within easy bowshot of the
+bait and determined to watch until the bear appeared. The light was
+already fading from the park, and the heavy evening shadows were forming
+at the edge of the woods. Then, as darkness settled down, the moon
+flooded the little park with its silvery light.
+
+"It is good," whispered Sun Bird. "Wakantunka has sent Hanyetuwi, the
+night sun, to give us light."
+
+"It is good," replied White Otter.
+
+They had little hope that Matohota would appear before daylight, and
+still they realized that he might come to feed under cover of the night.
+It was not long, however, before they heard other prowlers approaching
+the bait. The crackling of brush, and soft, stealthy footfalls caused
+them to watch expectantly. A lithe, shadowy form moved swiftly into the
+moonlight. It stopped a moment and raised a long pointed snout into the
+air. Then it trotted gracefully to the bait. The Sioux recognized it as
+Huhasapedan, the fox. They watched with great interest as the suspicious
+creature circled warily about the carcass, stopping in alarm at the
+slightest sound, and peering nervously into the shadows. It had barely
+begun to eat, when a second woods prowler entered the park and moved
+slowly toward the bait. The fox crouched behind the pony and watched
+uneasily.
+
+"Wolf," whispered White Otter.
+
+The wolf had discovered the fox and was bristling and growling, as it
+walked stiffly toward the pony. Awed by the threats of its formidable
+rival, the fox slunk to the edge of the timber and sat upon its
+haunches to watch until the wolf left the carcass. The wolf feasted
+ravenously, tearing large pieces of flesh from the bait and growling
+savagely as it ate. It was one of the great gaunt timber wolves, and the
+Sioux longed to pierce it with their arrows. They resisted the
+temptation, however, for they knew that Matohota might become suspicious
+at the scent of fresh blood.
+
+"It would be foolish," said White Otter.
+
+The wolf refused to leave until it had gorged itself with meat, and then
+it moved threateningly toward the fox. The latter immediately retreated
+across the park and failed to show itself until the wolf had slunk into
+the shadows.
+
+The fox had barely returned to the bait when it was again interrupted by
+another nocturnal prowler. A short, catlike snarl sounded from the
+direction of the game trail, and as the fox paused to listen, a long,
+crouching form appeared at the edge of the moonlight. Two glowing eyes
+blazed defiance, and the fox bounded into the woods.
+
+"It is fierce Imutanka," breathed Sun Bird.
+
+They had instantly recognized the stealthy prowler as a mountain lion.
+They watched with bated breath as the great cat moved cautiously toward
+the carcass. In spite of its size and strength it seemed as wary and
+fearful as Huhasapedan, the fox. It would slink forward a few paces and
+then stop and look furtively about the park. Once it sniffed
+suspiciously, and parted its lips in a silent snarl. Had it caught the
+wolf scent? Was great Matohota approaching? The Sioux grew tense at the
+thought. As the lion drew nearer the pony it crouched close to the
+ground, growling and nervously lashing its tail. It appeared to be
+preparing to spring upon the carcass. It was an unusually large
+specimen, and the Sioux were eager to secure so noble a trophy.
+
+"Come, we will kill Imutanka," suggested Sun Bird.
+
+"Wait," cautioned White Otter.
+
+A moment afterward a great bulky form appeared at the opposite side of
+the park. The Sioux recognized it at once. It was great Matohota, the
+grizzly. His sudden appearance caused their hearts to beat wildly
+against their ribs, while their eyes flashed with the light of battle.
+He was a foe worthy of the bravest warrior, and the young Dacotahs
+longed for the chance to engage him in battle.
+
+A slight breeze was stirring from the eastward, and Matohota had
+evidently caught the scent of the mountain lion. He had raised his head
+and was staring across the park. The Sioux looked toward the lion. It,
+too, had discovered the bear, and was crouching behind the pony, and
+grumbling threateningly.
+
+"Imutanka will run away," whispered Sun Bird.
+
+"Watch!" cautioned White Otter.
+
+The bear had ambled clumsily into the open, and was following its trail
+across the park. The Sioux turned their eyes upon the lion. They
+expected to see it slinking away. Imutanka, however, showed no such
+intention. His blazing eyes and ugly snarls made it plain that he had no
+idea of running away. Still, the Sioux could not believe he would dare
+to oppose the mighty Matohota.
+
+"Imutanka looks brave, but he will run away," insisted Sun Bird.
+
+"We will see," said White Otter.
+
+As the bear came closer the Sioux saw that it was even larger than they
+had guessed it to be. Matohota looked more than a match for sinewy
+Imutanka, but the latter still held his ground. It was apparent that
+having secured possession of the carcass he had no thought of
+surrendering it without a fight. The Sioux thrilled at the possibility.
+
+"If Imutanka stays there we will see something to talk about," Sun Bird
+whispered, eagerly.
+
+"Yes, yes, it will be a great fight," replied White Otter.
+
+The bold defiance of the lion seemed to have made Matohota realize the
+need of caution. He had stopped and was shaking his great head from side
+to side and growling fiercely. Imutanka replied to his challenge with
+short, throaty snarls. Then for some moments each gazed into the blazing
+eyes of the other and appeared to be estimating the strength and courage
+of its adversary. The Sioux were fascinated by the unusual spectacle.
+For the moment their desire to kill was overcome by their curiosity to
+learn the outcome of the fight.
+
+It was some time, however, before the huge Matohota made up his mind to
+attack his rival. Then, having determined to gain possession of the
+bait, he rushed furiously upon the lion. The great sinewy cat had little
+difficulty in avoiding him. Then, as Matohota whirled about with amazing
+agility, the lion made its spring. Matohota reared upon his hind legs
+and struck the lion to earth with his huge paw. Imutanka uttered a sharp
+whine of pain and sprang aside. It was evident that Matohota had drawn
+first blood. He dropped to all fours and turned quickly about as the
+lion circled him. The Sioux saw that Imutanka was bleeding freely from a
+deep gash in the neck. However, the wound only seemed to rouse the lion
+to greater fury. Spitting, snarling, and growling, it glided stealthily
+about its adversary, watching for an opening. Matohota, however, was
+equally alert, and in spite of his great bulk he was sufficiently quick
+to baffle his foe. Each time Imutanka crouched to spring, Matohota rose
+upon his hind legs and held his great forepaws ready to deal another
+deadly blow. Then the lion would immediately relax and attempt to glide
+behind him, and Matohota would drop down and whirl about in time to
+prevent the attack.
+
+"Matohota is a great fighter," Sun Bird told White Otter.
+
+"Imutanka is quick, he will fool Matohota," replied White Otter.
+
+A moment later his prophecy was fulfilled. The lion had crouched to
+spring, and Matohota reared to protect himself. Then Imutanka sprang far
+to one side, and as Matohota dropped Imutanka was directly behind him.
+Before Matohota could turn the lion was upon his back. Its great claws
+tore down through the thick, shaggy coat, and ripped great gashes in his
+flesh and its flashing fangs sank deep into the back of his neck. Quick
+to understand his peril, Matohota threw himself and attempted to roll
+over upon his back. Failing in his efforts to dislodge the lion,
+Matohota rose upon his hind legs and fell over backward to crush the
+lion beneath his great bulk. Imutanka was too cunning to be caught.
+Releasing his hold he sprang away, and as Matohota crashed to the ground
+the lion jumped for his throat. Matohota caught him in a crushing
+embrace, and the fight became deadly. Rolling wildly over the ground the
+ferocious beasts bit and tore each other until it seemed that neither
+could survive the encounter.
+
+The Sioux looked on with glistening eyes. The savage duel had roused
+their own hot fighting blood and they were eager to enter the fray.
+
+"Come, we will kill both of them," cried Sun Bird, as he fitted an arrow
+to his bow.
+
+"Wait, wait," urged White Otter. "We will see who is the greatest
+warrior."
+
+They watched, therefore, while the fight raged with unabated fury. At
+last the superior strength of the great Matohota gave him the victory.
+The lion broke free and sprang from the range of his deadly paws. It
+crouched and faced him for a moment, and then as he reared to defend
+himself, Imutanka weakened and turned to slink away into the night.
+
+"Come!" cried Sun Bird, as he rose to his feet.
+
+Two arrows pierced the heart of fierce Imutanka and he fell dead in his
+tracks. Matohota whirled about at the sharp twang of the bowstrings, and
+roared defiance at the two figures on the edge of the moonlight. Then as
+he rushed forward to destroy them in his wrath, he, too, collapsed from
+the shock of two burning arrows in his great hairy chest. The next
+moment he rose to his feet and reared unsteadily to repeat the tactics
+which had proved successful against fierce Imutanka. This time, however,
+it was a fatal error, for the Sioux drove their arrows through his heart
+and great Matohota crashed headlong into the grass and followed Imutanka
+on the Long Trail.
+
+"Hi, we have done a big thing," Sun Bird cried, excitedly, as he rushed
+into the park to examine the trophies.
+
+"We will have something to tell about," laughed White Otter.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XII
+
+AN ENCOUNTER WITH THE FLATHEADS
+
+
+The elated young Sioux lost little time in removing the great claws from
+Matohota and the cruel, sharp talons from fierce Imutanka. They longed
+to take the pelts as well, but they realized that it would be folly to
+burden themselves with them. They spent some time, however, examining
+the wounds which the savage creatures had inflicted upon each other. The
+lion had bitten deeply into the back of Matohota's neck and ripped
+terrible gashes in his back. Matohota had taken full revenge. His great
+claws had torn gaping wounds in the chest and shoulders of Imutanka and
+it was evident that the lion would have expired from loss of blood if
+the Sioux had not ended its agony with their arrows. They decided,
+therefore, that great Matohota should be credited with victory.
+
+"Imutanka was very brave, but Matohota was too strong for him," declared
+Sun Bird.
+
+"Yes, Matohota won the fight," agreed White Otter.
+
+As the night was far advanced they determined to wait until daylight
+before setting out to rejoin their companions. They spent some time
+dancing solemnly about their victims, and chanting their war songs. Then
+they opened the carcasses of the bear and the lion and removed the
+hearts. They cut them into two parts and ate them with superstitious
+zeal. It was an ancient custom of the Dacotahs, who believed that by
+consuming the heart of a particularly strong and courageous bear or lion
+they would absorb the strength and courage of the animal itself.
+
+At dawn the Sioux determined to follow the game trail to the plain, in
+the hope of encountering some of the war party. They had thoughtfully
+cut the arrows from the bodies of Matohota and Imutanka so that if
+either the Blackfeet or the Crows chanced to visit the spot they would
+be unable to guess who had ventured upon their hunting grounds.
+
+"Perhaps we will find out something about that pony," suggested Sun
+Bird, as they moved slowly down the game trail.
+
+"See, here are the tracks of Imutanka," said White Otter.
+
+The trail of the lion was plainly visible. The Sioux gave little
+attention to it. Their interest in fierce Imutanka had ended with his
+death. They were curious, however, to learn more about the unfortunate
+pony. They watched closely to find its tracks. They were faint and far
+apart, and although Sun Bird and White Otter were expert trailers they
+could gain little information from the unsatisfactory trail.
+
+Then the game trail suddenly led them to an open plateau which offered
+an extended view of the plain. They saw a small company of horsemen
+riding toward the ridge. They studied them closely. There were eight.
+
+"Perhaps our friends are looking for us," said Sun Bird.
+
+White Otter remained silent. His whole attention was concentrated upon
+the approaching horsemen. They were a considerable distance below him
+and some distance from the base of the ridge. It was difficult to
+identify them, but the Ogalala was straining his eyes in the attempt. He
+was particularly noting the ponies, as he had become thoroughly familiar
+with the color and type of every animal in the Minneconjoux war party.
+He failed to recognize any of the ponies which were approaching the
+timber. One was a buckskin, and there were two pintos. There were
+several such animals in the Sioux war party, but they differed in type
+from the ponies on the plain. White Otter was suspicious of the
+approaching horsemen. Sun Bird, too, was becoming uneasy about them.
+
+"Who are they?" he asked, anxiously.
+
+"They are not our people," White Otter assured him. "I do not know who
+they are. Do you know them?"
+
+"No," replied Sun Bird.
+
+They watched anxiously while the riders drew nearer the base of the
+ridge. As they finally came within bow range of the timber, they stopped
+and began to watch the ridge. For a moment the Sioux wondered if the
+horsemen had discovered them. It seemed impossible, as they had hidden
+themselves in the undergrowth the moment they discovered the riders.
+
+"No, they did not see us," White Otter declared, confidently. "I believe
+they are scouts. Perhaps they are Blackfeet."
+
+"No, they are not Blackfeet," said Sun Bird. "I know those people a long
+ways off."
+
+"Well, they do not look like Crows," White Otter told him.
+
+"No, they are not Crows," replied Sun Bird.
+
+"Who are they?" demanded White Otter.
+
+"I cannot tell you that until they come closer," Sun Bird told him.
+
+In the meantime one of the horsemen had left his companions and was
+riding cautiously toward the ridge. His friends were watching him
+closely and seemed ready to rush to his assistance at the first warning
+of danger. As the scout drew steadily nearer, the Sioux studied him with
+great care. Sun Bird was positive that he was not a Blackfoot, and both
+of them were equally certain that he was not a Crow. The Crows allowed
+their hair to grow to great length, and wore it in two massive braids
+which often fell below their knees. The man who was approaching the
+ridge, however, had a great abundance of rather short, unbraided hair,
+which fell loosely about his shoulders. As Sun Bird noted it, and the
+high, peculiar shape of the warrior's head he suddenly identified him.
+
+"Now I know about him," he told White Otter. "He is a Flathead. It is
+bad. They are enemies of my people. We must watch out."
+
+"I have heard my grandfather tell about those people," said White Otter.
+
+He recalled the stories which old Wolf Robe had told about how the
+Flatheads flattened the heads of their children by tightly binding the
+skulls of the babies between stiff slabs of bark, and keeping them in
+the vise until the skulls were pressed into the desired shape. Those
+strange people considered a high, flat skull a great mark of beauty. As
+they were a northern tribe, hovering about the mountains, it was the
+first time White Otter had encountered them. He studied the approaching
+rider with curious interest.
+
+"They are great hunters," Sun Bird told him. "I believe these riders are
+coming to this ridge to hunt."
+
+"Perhaps they will follow this trail," suggested White Otter. "Perhaps
+they will go up there where we killed Matohota, to watch for game."
+
+Sun Bird started at the suggestion. It appeared to have offered an
+interesting possibility. He drew the mysterious arrow from his bowcase,
+and smiled significantly at White Otter.
+
+"Now I know about this thing," he said. "This arrow came from the
+Flatheads."
+
+White Otter nodded understandingly.
+
+In the meantime the Flathead scout had reached the base of the ridge and
+disappeared from their sight. They turned their attention to the company
+of horsemen who were waiting on the plain. They seemed to be watching
+for the signal to advance.
+
+"Those people are very cautious," said White Otter.
+
+"Perhaps they are afraid of the Blackfeet," Sun Bird told him.
+
+Then they heard a shout from the base of the ridge, and the horsemen
+cantered briskly toward the timber. The Sioux realized that it was time
+to move from the plateau. They believed it would be easy to return to
+the top of the ridge and escape from their enemies. Sun Bird, however,
+showed a desire to linger.
+
+"Those look like good ponies," he told White Otter, as his eyes twinkled
+mischievously. "The Flatheads are our enemies. They have killed some of
+my people. I feel like taking away some of those ponies."
+
+"You are the leader, I will follow you," White Otter said, quietly.
+
+"It is good," Sun Bird declared, enthusiastically.
+
+Their first thought, however, was to conceal themselves sufficiently
+near the game trail to see the Flatheads if they passed. It was a bold
+resolve, and the eyes of the daring young Sioux flashed with excitement.
+They had been taught from infancy that the noblest aim of a warrior was
+to inflict punishment upon his enemies, and they determined to make the
+most of their opportunity. They concealed themselves within easy bowshot
+of the trail, and waited anxiously for the Flatheads to appear. It was
+not long before the Sioux heard them approaching.
+
+"They are coming," whispered Sun Bird.
+
+They watched in breathless suspense, and in a few moments they saw the
+first horseman appear at the edge of the plateau. His companions
+followed closely behind him. The Sioux were greatly surprised when the
+Flatheads stopped their ponies in the center of the open park and began
+to dismount. Then the ponies were left with two warriors and the other
+members of the company passed up the game trail on foot. The Sioux had a
+splendid view of them at close range. They were tall, muscular men,
+whose high, flattened skulls gave them a weird and sinister expression.
+As they were not painted for war, the Sioux believed they were hunters.
+
+"Perhaps they will find our tracks," Sun Bird whispered, uneasily, after
+they had passed.
+
+White Otter looked serious. The possibility had already flashed through
+his mind, and he was troubled about it. He knew that even one indistinct
+impression of a fresh moccasin track would arouse the suspicions of the
+Flatheads, and send them hurrying to the plateau to investigate. Then it
+would be impossible to capture the ponies, and difficult to get away.
+
+"The ground is hard," Sun Bird said, hopefully. "We did not make many
+tracks."
+
+"The eyes of a hunter are sharp," White Otter cautioned him.
+
+Realizing that there was nothing to be gained by worrying over the
+possibility of the Flatheads discovering their tracks, the Sioux
+dismissed the thought from their minds and turned their attention upon
+the warriors with the ponies. The latter had incautiously turned loose
+the ponies to graze in the center of the park and had stationed
+themselves on opposite sides of the plateau to watch them. The Sioux
+instantly saw their opportunity.
+
+"Those warriors are very foolish," Sun Bird said, excitedly. "Now we can
+creep up and get two of those ponies."
+
+"We must be quick," White Otter told him. "Those other warriors may come
+back."
+
+"I will take that yellow pony, it looks fast," said Sun Bird.
+
+"I will take the spotted pony with the white tail," said White Otter.
+
+Having made their selection, the Sioux realized that they must attempt
+their daring coup without a moment's delay. They moved through the
+undergrowth with the alert, silent stealth of Huhasapedan, the fox.
+When they were almost at the edge of the park they stopped to plan their
+reckless dash upon the ponies. The animals which they hoped to secure
+were grazing near the edge of the timber and the Flathead who guarded
+them was picking berries a short distance away. The Sioux crawled a
+bowlength nearer. Then as one of the ponies suddenly raised its head,
+they stopped and waited with thumping hearts to learn if they had been
+discovered. The unsuspecting animal resumed its feeding, however, and
+the Sioux breathed more easily. Again they moved carefully toward the
+border of the park. Their eyes were fixed upon the ponies, and their
+ears were open to catch the first warning that the Flatheads had found
+their tracks.
+
+When they finally reached the edge of the timber, the ponies which they
+had selected were almost within reach of them. They were grazing
+quietly, and the long rawhide lariats were trailing between their feet.
+The Flathead had turned his back upon them and was stooped over
+searching for berries in the long grass. The warrior on the opposite
+side of the park was lying in the shade of a tree. The Sioux realized
+that their opportunity was at hand. Each fastened his eyes upon the
+animal he planned to capture and prepared to rush into the park. At
+that moment, however, they heard a signal from the upper end of the game
+trail. The truth instantly flashed through their minds. The Flathead
+hunters had discovered their trail.
+
+"Come!" cried White Otter.
+
+They jumped to their feet and rushed recklessly into the park. Then as
+the startled ponies turned in panic, the Sioux sprang forward and seized
+the lariats. The next moment they had mounted and were riding furiously
+down the game trail. They chuckled with boyish glee as they heard the
+alarmed Flathead guards yelling frantically for their companions.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XIII
+
+A CLEVER STRATAGEM
+
+
+At the time that Sun Bird and White Otter set out to climb the ridge to
+search for the Blackfeet camp, Lean Wolf and Sitting Eagle rode
+northward along the edge of the timber to look for signs of their
+enemies. They were particularly anxious to locate the Crows, who, they
+feared, were somewhere in the vicinity. They rode until the day was half
+gone, and then, having seen nothing of their foes, determined to return
+to their companions. As they were cantering slowly toward a deep ravine
+which they had crossed earlier in the day, their ponies suddenly began
+to raise their ears and whinny. The Sioux instantly stopped in alarm.
+
+"Watch out!" cautioned Lean Wolf.
+
+He had barely given the warning when a great company of horsemen rode
+out of the ravine and raced toward the astounded Sioux. The latter
+instantly recognized the riders as Crows. They were almost upon them and
+the Sioux wheeled their ponies and rode madly across the plain.
+
+"This way! This way!" cried Sitting Eagle, as he turned toward the
+north.
+
+The Crows were within bowshot and their arrows were falling all about
+the crouching Sioux. The latter urged their ponies to a frantic burst of
+speed to escape from the fierce attack. Stride by stride they distanced
+their pursuers until they were beyond arrow range. Then the Crows
+withheld their arrows and began to lash their ponies in an attempt to
+again get within bow range.
+
+"Keep low on your pony," cautioned Lean Wolf. "Perhaps they do not know
+who we are."
+
+"Yes, yes, we will try to fool them," replied Sitting Eagle.
+
+Then as the two ponies raced along side by side he told Lean Wolf about
+a narrow, shut-in canyon which extended back into the foothills. He said
+it was only a short distance ahead of them.
+
+"If we run into that place the Crows cannot get us," Sitting Eagle
+declared, confidently.
+
+"It is good, we will go there," agreed Lean Wolf.
+
+The Crows were trying desperately to come within arrow range, but the
+gallant Sioux ponies were holding their lead and their riders had little
+fear of being overtaken. They believed that the Crow ponies had reached
+the limit of their speed and that further urging would cause them to
+collapse.
+
+The Sioux finally reached the canyon a safe distance ahead of their
+pursuers. After they had ridden through the narrow entrance, they
+dismounted and sought safety behind two great boulders which guarded the
+pass.
+
+"Now we can hold off our enemies," Sitting Eagle said, with evident
+relief.
+
+"Yes, it will be hard for them to come through here," declared Lean
+Wolf.
+
+The Crows, however, showed no disposition to make the attempt. They
+seemed to realize the strength of the Sioux position and appeared
+reluctant to make an attack. They gathered in a compact group well
+beyond arrow range, and held a council of war.
+
+"They will wait until it gets dark," declared Sitting Eagle. "Then they
+will try to get into this place."
+
+"We will be ready," Lean Wolf said, doggedly. "But perhaps the Crows
+will keep us here a long time. We have no water. It is bad."
+
+"There is a little pool a short ways behind us, and there is plenty of
+grass for the ponies," Sitting Eagle assured him.
+
+"It is good," Lean Wolf declared, heartily. "We can stay here until the
+Crows get tired and go away."
+
+When the day finally ended and twilight fell upon the plain, the Sioux
+became more alert. They feared that the crafty Crows would make an
+attempt to creep into the canyon under cover of the darkness, and they
+determined to be prepared. Crouching behind the bowlders, they peered
+anxiously into the night, listening for the sound of stealthy footfalls
+at the entrance to the canyon. Then, as time passed and the stillness was
+unbroken, they began to wonder. Had the Crows suddenly departed? The
+Sioux had grave doubts.
+
+"No, they have not gone away," Lean Wolf told Sitting Eagle. "I believe
+they took us for Blackfeet. They are very mad at those people. I believe
+they will try hard to kill us."
+
+"Listen!" cautioned Sitting Eagle.
+
+They heard something moving cautiously near the entrance to the pass.
+Fearing that the Crows were about to make an attack, the Sioux fitted
+arrows to their bows and prepared to offer desperate resistance. Then
+they again heard some one creeping stealthily toward them through the
+night.
+
+"It is a scout," whispered Lean Wolf.
+
+Sitting Eagle rose to his knees, and shot his arrow toward the sounds.
+There was a noisy scramble from the pass, and they knew that the
+invaders had been driven off. Then for a long time they heard nothing
+further from their foes. Shortly before daylight, however, a small
+company of reckless young warriors rushed boldly into the narrow defile
+and made a valiant attempt to overcome the Sioux. The latter fought
+furiously, and the Crows were forced to withdraw. Their foolhardy
+display of bravery had cost the lives of several of them.
+
+The Sioux were greatly encouraged by their success in holding the pass.
+They believed that the Crows would be slow to renew the attack. They had
+withdrawn beyond arrow range, and as dawn lighted the plain the Sioux
+saw them gathered in earnest discussion some distance from the canyon.
+
+"Perhaps they will go away," Sitting Eagle said, hopefully.
+
+"No, I do not believe it," replied Lean Wolf. "Listen, they are singing
+their war songs. We must be ready."
+
+A few moments afterward the entire Crow war party galloped toward the
+canyon. As they came within arrow range, however, they dropped behind
+their ponies and raced past yelling fiercely.
+
+"Save your arrows!" shouted Lean Wolf.
+
+"Yes, yes, I see what they are trying to do," Sitting Eagle told him.
+
+They realized at once that their wily foes were attempting to make them
+waste their arrows. When the Crows saw that the trick had failed, they
+immediately withdrew beyond arrow range. This time, however, they
+disappeared from sight over a rise of the plain. The Sioux looked at one
+another in surprise. The unexpected maneuver made them suspicious.
+
+"They are trying to fool us," said Sitting Eagle.
+
+"Yes, they are trying to make us come out so that they can catch us,"
+declared Lean Wolf.
+
+Then their suspicions were confirmed as they saw several warriors
+peeping over the crest of the rise. The Sioux laughed and jeered at
+them, and the Crows instantly withdrew from sight. They remained hidden
+for the rest of the day, but the Sioux had little doubt that sharp-eyed
+scouts were constantly watching the pass.
+
+"If they do not come when it gets dark, we will know that they have gone
+away," said Sitting Eagle.
+
+They watched in weary suspense as the long day finally drew to a close.
+The Crows, however, failed to appear. It seemed as if they really had
+abandoned the siege, and still the Sioux feared to believe it.
+Experience had taught them that the Crows were crafty and treacherous
+foes, and they feared that they were planning some clever ruse to gain
+admission to the canyon.
+
+"We must keep watching," Lean Wolf said, suspiciously.
+
+The night was well advanced before they heard anything to arouse their
+fears. Then they again caught the sound of some one moving toward the
+canyon.
+
+"Watch out, they have come!" whispered Sitting Eagle.
+
+"I hear them," Lean Wolf replied.
+
+The next moment a wild chorus of yells warned them that the entire Crow
+force was crowding into the narrow pass. The Sioux knew that the
+critical moment was at hand. The Crows had left their ponies out on the
+plain and had crept toward the canyon on foot. It was evident that they
+were determined to kill their foes at any cost, and the Sioux realized
+that unless they could stop the first fierce rush there was no hope for
+them.
+
+"Come, we are Dacotahs, we will show these people how to fight!" Lean
+Wolf cried, savagely.
+
+They rose behind the bowlders and delivered a deadly volley of arrows
+that threw the Crows into confusion. For a moment they hesitated, and
+the Sioux took hope. Then the Crows rallied and rushed recklessly upon
+their foes. The Sioux took shelter behind the bowlders and fought with
+the fury of despair. They realized that it was only a matter of moments
+before they would be overcome, and they determined to make the Crows pay
+dearly for the victory.
+
+At that instant, however, the great war cry of the Dacotahs echoed
+through the night, and a moment afterward the thunderous hoof beats of
+running ponies reverberated across the plain. The Sioux could scarcely
+believe their ears. The Crows turned in panic.
+
+"The Blackfeet! The Blackfeet!" they cried hysterically. "They have run
+off our ponies!"
+
+They believed that they had been led into a trap by the treacherous
+Blackfeet, and the thought demoralized them. Their one thought was to
+escape from the canyon before their foes barred the way. They scrambled
+wildly through the narrow pass and fled into the darkness.
+
+"Come!" cried Lean Wolf, as he sprang upon his pony.
+
+The Sioux galloped from the pass, and raced across the plain to join the
+Minneconjoux war party. They heard the Sioux war cry directly ahead of
+them, and they raised their voices in reply. Several riderless ponies
+crossed their path, but they made no attempt to capture them. Their one
+thought was to join their comrades in an attack upon the bewildered
+Crows. Then they heard some one galloping toward them and shouting their
+names. A moment later White Otter raced the fiery piebald beside them.
+
+"You are alive--it is good," he said. "Come, we will run away before the
+Crows find out about it."
+
+"Where are our brothers?" Lean Wolf inquired, anxiously.
+
+"Little Raven and Running Dog are waiting over there," White Otter told
+him.
+
+"Yes, yes, but where are the others?" inquired Lean Wolf.
+
+"They did not come," laughed White Otter. "We made all that noise to
+frighten the Crow ponies and bring the Crows out on the plain. I did it
+a long time ago. Now I have done it again. The Crows are very foolish."
+
+"White Otter, you are a great chief!" Lean Wolf said, warmly. "You have
+given us our lives. We will tell our people about it."
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XIV
+
+THE BLACKFEET CAMP
+
+
+They soon found Little Raven and Running Dog, and then they set out to
+join the war party. As they rode swiftly through the night Lean Wolf
+asked White Otter to tell about his daring stratagem against the Crows.
+
+"How did you come to find us?" Lean Wolf asked him.
+
+"When we came back from the ridge, Sun Bird asked our friends about
+you," said White Otter. "They told us that you went away and did not
+come back. We felt bad about it. Sun Bird sent us to look for you.
+Pretty soon we found the tracks of your ponies. We followed them to that
+gully. Then we saw what had happened. We thought the Blackfeet had
+caught you. It was easy to follow all those pony tracks. Then we came in
+sight of the place where you were hiding. We lay down behind a ridge to
+watch. We saw a war party of Crows. Then I told Running Dog and Little
+Raven how I fooled those people. I said, 'I will fool them again.' Then
+we frightened away the ponies and made the Crows run out. That is all I
+have to say about it."
+
+Soon afterward they encountered the Minneconjoux war party advancing
+carefully along the edge of the timber. However, when Sun Bird learned
+that the Crows were only a short distance ahead of him, he immediately
+ordered a halt.
+
+"If we keep going ahead we will run into those people," he told his
+companions. "That would be foolish. We have set out to fight the
+Blackfeet. We must keep ourselves strong until we meet them."
+
+"Yes, it would be foolish to risk our lives until we have done what we
+set out to do," the Minneconjoux told one another.
+
+They made a wide detour, therefore, and circled far out on the plain to
+avoid meeting their enemies. Daylight was close at hand when they
+finally returned to the foothills. Having passed safely by the canyon
+without hearing anything of the Crows, the Sioux believed that there was
+little further danger of again encountering those hated foes.
+
+"We are getting close to the Blackfeet camp, the Crows will not come
+this way," said Sun Bird.
+
+"They have gone to tell their people how the Blackfeet fooled them,"
+Lean Wolf said, jokingly.
+
+"White Otter can tell them about it," laughed the Minneconjoux.
+
+As the last lingering night shadows lifted from the plain, the Sioux
+entered the timber to avoid being seen by prowling companies of
+Blackfeet. Although the danger of meeting the Crows appeared to have
+passed, they knew that they would be in constant peril from the
+Blackfeet. Dancing Rabbit said that they were within a day's journey of
+the great camp, and the announcement roused them to their danger. They
+moved carefully along the base of the ridge until they found a sheltered
+hiding place.
+
+"Now, my friends, I will tell you what I propose to do," said Sun Bird.
+"You have heard the words of Dancing Rabbit. He says that we are getting
+near the great Blackfeet camp. It is good. That is what we set out to
+do. But we must be cautious. We must not let the Blackfeet see us until
+we run off those ponies. We must hide in the timber until we are ready
+to fight. But first we must find the Blackfeet camp. I believe we can
+see it from the top of this ridge. Pretty soon I am going to climb up
+there and look around. You must wait here until I come back. Then when
+it grows dark we will go ahead. I have finished."
+
+Soon afterward he set out with White Otter and Dancing Rabbit. They
+climbed to the top of the ridge and looked anxiously toward the north.
+It was some time before Dancing Rabbit spoke. Then he pointed eagerly
+toward a low, sage-grown ridge.
+
+"Do you see that long hill?" he asked excitedly.
+
+"Yes, I see it," replied Sun Bird.
+
+"Well, there is a river on the other side of it," Dancing Rabbit told
+them. "Many trees grow along that river. The Blackfeet camp is between
+that river and that long hill. I hid on top of that hill when I ran away
+from the camp."
+
+Sun Bird and White Otter heard him in silence. Now that the goal was
+almost in sight they showed little emotion. Only the sudden flash of
+their eyes betokened their interest. They were intently studying the
+low, sage-grown sweep of the plain which Dancing Rabbit declared
+concealed the Blackfeet camp.
+
+"See, see, there is the smoke from the village!" cried Dancing Rabbit,
+as he pointed to a thin column of smoke which was rising above the
+ridge.
+
+"I have been watching it a long time," Sun Bird told him.
+
+"Yes, I saw it," said White Otter, as Sun Bird looked inquiringly at
+him.
+
+"See, there is a high place over there," said Sun Bird, as he pointed
+toward a great ledge some distance to the northward. "If we climb up on
+those rocks we can see the Blackfeet lodges."
+
+"Yes, I believe you can see the camp from that place," Dancing Rabbit
+declared, eagerly.
+
+They made their way slowly along the ridge until they reached the base
+of the great ledge. It rose many bow lengths above them and was so bare
+and conspicuous that the Sioux were somewhat fearful of being seen if
+they climbed it. They knew that when enemies were expected, every great
+camp was protected by sentinels posted on elevations of the plain to
+watch for the approach of their foes. As the Blackfeet had every reason
+to expect an attack from both the Minneconjoux and the Crows, the Sioux
+felt quite certain that they had taken the usual precautions to guard
+their village. Still, the possibility of seeing the great Blackfeet camp
+was a strong temptation, and the Sioux finally decided to climb the
+ledge.
+
+They had barely made the decision, however, when they saw something
+which instantly changed their plans. A small company of horsemen had
+suddenly appeared on the summit of the ridge which hid the camp. The
+Sioux knew at once that they were Blackfeet, and they watched anxiously
+to see which way they would go. They were considerably relieved when the
+riders reached the foot of the slope and turned toward the east. They
+rode off at a smart canter and soon disappeared into a dip of the plain.
+
+"I believe they are hunters," said White Otter.
+
+"Well, they have gone away," Sun Bird told him. "Come, we will climb up
+there and look around."
+
+"No, it would be foolish," White Otter declared. "I see some one down
+there watching this place."
+
+Sun Bird and Dancing Rabbit started in amazement. Both had unusually
+sharp vision, and they had kept their eyes steadily on the ridge, but
+neither of them had seen any one except the horsemen.
+
+"Where is that person?" Sun Bird inquired, curiously.
+
+"Look sharp at that twisted tree, near the top of the ridge," said White
+Otter.
+
+His companions looked in vain. They could find no evidence of any one
+either in or about the tree which White Otter had designated. They
+feared that he had been mistaken.
+
+"I do not see any one," declared Sun Bird.
+
+"Well, there is a warrior sitting up there among the branches," White
+Otter told him. "If you look sharp along that crooked limb you will see
+him. He is far away, but my eyes tell me that he is looking this way. We
+must be cautious."
+
+"Yes, yes, I see him!" Sun Bird said, excitedly.
+
+"He must be a scout. Perhaps those riders left him there to watch for
+enemies. Perhaps it is a war party."
+
+"We will wait and see what he is going to do," said White Otter.
+
+As they were high up, and well sheltered in the timber, the Sioux had
+little fear of being discovered. They were curious to know what the
+warrior in the tree was watching for, and they determined to wait until
+they learned. Then they suddenly discovered a horseman near the spot
+where the Blackfeet had disappeared. The Sioux felt sure that he was one
+of the company. He was facing toward the ridge where the warrior was
+watching from the tree. Apparently aware that the latter had seen him,
+he dismounted and began to signal with his robe. First he held it
+directly in front of him between his outstretched arms. The Sioux
+recognized the signal as the sign for buffaloes. Then he waved the robe
+up and down several times before his body. It was the signal for many.
+
+"Those men are Blackfeet hunters," declared White Otter. "They have
+found some buffaloes. That man is telling about it."
+
+In the meantime the warrior had descended from the tree and hurried to
+the top of the ridge. Then he stooped and raised his robe from the
+ground. He faced toward the north, and repeated the signals which he had
+just received. Then both warriors disappeared.
+
+"That man has told the people in the village about the buffaloes," said
+White Otter. "I do not believe it is a big hunt. Perhaps some buffaloes
+came near the camp and some young men went out to kill them."
+
+"Well, we must not show ourselves," Sun Bird said, with a tinge of
+disappointment. "I would like to look at that camp, but I believe it
+would be foolish to climb up there."
+
+"Yes, my brother, it would be foolish," White Otter warned him. "The
+Blackfeet are moving around. Their eyes are sharp. We must watch out."
+
+"I will tell you how I feel about it," said Sun Bird.
+
+"I am listening," replied White Otter.
+
+"I am going to ask Dancing Rabbit to go back to our brothers," explained
+Sun Bird. "I am going to ask him to tell them to come ahead when it
+grows dark. Sitting Eagle knows this place. He must be the leader. When
+it gets light they must hide in the timber and wait for us. Dancing
+Rabbit, you must come back here and tell us where they are. Then we will
+go to them and tell them what we saw. White Otter, I will ask you to
+stay here with me. When it gets dark we will climb up on that high place
+and hide. When the light comes we will see the Blackfeet camp."
+
+"It is the best thing to do," White Otter told him.
+
+Shortly after Dancing Rabbit left them, they saw a great company of
+Blackfeet riding slowly over the ridge. There were both men and women,
+and many of the ponies were dragging the pole _travois_ upon which
+burdens were transported across the plains.
+
+"Those hunters have killed some buffaloes," said White Otter. "These
+people are going to bring in the meat."
+
+They watched the interesting cavalcade move slowly across the plain and
+disappear on the trail of the hunters. The Blackfeet were sending their
+women to bring in the meat. It was apparent, therefore, that they had
+little fear of either the Minneconjoux or the Crows retaliating for the
+recent attacks which they had made upon them. The reckless boldness of
+their arrogant foes caused the eyes of the Sioux to flash with anger.
+
+"We will fool those boastful people," Sun Bird said, fiercely.
+
+"They feel safe--it is good," White Otter replied, quietly.
+
+They saw nothing more of the Blackfeet until the end of the day and then
+the hunters returned. A short way behind them came the women and a few
+men, leading the pack ponies laden with meat. After the Blackfeet had
+passed over the ridge, the Sioux listened anxiously for sounds from the
+camp. When they failed to hear anything they began to wonder if the camp
+was farther away than they supposed.
+
+"I do not believe it is far beyond that ridge," declared White Otter.
+"The wind has carried away the noise."
+
+"Yes, that may be true," agreed Sun Bird.
+
+They waited impatiently for darkness, and when it finally came they
+immediately began to climb the ledge. It was hard, perilous work, as the
+night was unusually black, and the ledge was high and steep. There were
+places where a false step would have meant severe injury, or even
+death, and the Sioux realized the necessity for caution.
+
+"Well, we have had a hard time," Sun Bird panted, as they finally
+reached the top.
+
+"Yes, it is a hard place to get to," agreed White Otter.
+
+They went as far as possible along the top of the ledge, hoping at
+daylight to be able to see over the ridge which hid the camp. Then they
+concealed themselves behind two high pinnacles of rock which rose some
+distance above the ledge and waited anxiously for the night to pass.
+
+"See, the light is coming," Sun Bird said, eagerly, as the first faint
+trace of dawn appeared in the east. "Pretty soon we will see the great
+Blackfeet camp."
+
+"It is good," replied White Otter.
+
+They waited impatiently for darkness to leave the plain. Dawn seemed a
+long time coming. However, the pale narrow streak across the eastern sky
+gradually widened, the stars grew dim, and a bird note sounded from the
+timber. Day was close at hand. The Sioux stirred restlessly. Their long
+vigil was almost over. Would they see the Blackfeet camp? they wondered.
+They longed to sweep aside the heavy black mantle which hid the plain.
+Then, after some moments of trying suspense, they saw the night shadows
+slowly retreating. The stars had disappeared. A soft gray twilight was
+creeping out of the east. Like a great hand, it spread slowly over the
+plain and wiped away the darkness. Dim, shadowy shapes appeared in its
+wake. It passed over the ridge and drove the shadows into the north. The
+Sioux followed it with eager eyes. Slowly, almost imperceptibly, it
+extended across the plain and laid bare the secrets of the night.
+
+"Look, look, there are the lodges!" Sun Bird cried, eagerly.
+
+They seemed suddenly to have sprung from the plain--like pale, ghostly
+phantoms on the trail of dawn. One after the other, they appeared from
+the gloom in great sweeping circles that extended far out on the plain
+until the entire camp was exposed before the fascinated eyes of the
+Sioux. It was ideally situated beside the waters of a wide, willow-lined
+stream. The Sioux marveled at its size. For a long time they studied it
+in silence. Trained from infancy in the art of observation, they noted
+every detail. They counted the lodges, estimated the number of persons
+each would accommodate, determined the nearest and easiest approach to
+the camp, noted the distance from the ridge, the distance from the
+water, and many other details which skillful scouts were expected to
+know.
+
+Then they turned their attention to the ponies. There was a great herd
+of them grazing some distance to the eastward of the lodges. The Sioux
+watched them with covetous eyes. They knew that many of those animals
+had come from the Minneconjoux camp. They intended to take them back,
+and many Blackfeet ponies besides. Near the edge of the camp was a
+smaller herd of ponies confined in a strong pole corral. The Sioux knew
+that those were the more valuable animals, the fleet-footed war and
+hunting ponies. White Otter studied them with great interest. He was
+trying to identify the famous black war pony of Many Buffaloes, the
+Blackfeet chief. However, he was unable to convince himself that any of
+the ponies in the corral was that animal. He had little doubt that it
+was securely guarded somewhere near the lodge of the chief.
+
+"There are many lodges," Sun Bird said, finally.
+
+"Yes, it is a great camp," replied White Otter.
+
+The Blackfeet were beginning to stir. The Sioux saw them moving about
+between the lodges. They looked like dwarfs at the distance. Then smoke
+began to rise above the camp. Some people were running toward the river.
+The Sioux believed they were boys. The splashes were distinctly visible
+as they threw themselves into the water. The faint, far-away sound of
+their voices came up from the plain. Then a shadow swept across the
+ledge. The Sioux looked into the sky. Huya, the great war bird, was
+soaring out over the Blackfeet camp.
+
+"Hi, there is our brother, Huya!" said Sun Bird. "He has come to bring
+our people to the Blackfeet camp."
+
+"It is a good sign," declared White Otter.
+
+They watched until the day was well advanced, and then they crept
+carefully over the top of the ledge and descended to the summit of the
+ridge. They found Dancing Rabbit waiting for them.
+
+"Well, my brother, have you brought our friends here?" inquired Sun
+Bird.
+
+"They are hiding down there in the timber," replied Dancing Rabbit.
+
+"Come, we will go to them," said Sun Bird.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XV
+
+A PERILOUS RECONNAISSANCE
+
+
+They found the war party camped in a secluded ravine which led far back
+into the foothills. Having ridden throughout the night, most of the
+Minneconjoux were sleeping when Sun Bird and White Otter arrived at the
+rendezvous. The spot was strongly guarded by sentinels, however, who
+took turns at keeping watch. Sun Bird and White Otter immediately asked
+for water, and Dancing Rabbit led them to a splendid spring on the side
+of the ravine. Then they supplied themselves with generous rations of
+dried meat and ate heartily. In the meantime their arrival had awakened
+most of the war party, and they gathered about the famous young scouts
+and waited anxiously for them to speak.
+
+"Well, my friends, I have something good to tell you," Sun Bird said, at
+last. "We saw the Blackfeet camp. It is close by. There are many
+lodges. There must be many people to live in them. We saw many ponies.
+Some belong to our people. We have come to take them away. We will take
+them. Then we saw the fast ponies. They are near the lodges. We will try
+to take some of those. But, my friends, I must tell you that it will be
+a hard thing to do. There are many warriors in that camp. They are
+brave. Perhaps we will have to fight hard to get those ponies."
+
+"My brothers, I have listened to your words," said Sitting Eagle. "You
+say that the Blackfeet are brave. It is true. I have fought many battles
+against them. They are braver than the Pawnees. They are braver than the
+Kiowas. They are braver than the Crows. Now you know that they are very
+brave. Well, my friends, the Dacotahs are braver than the Blackfeet.
+Yes, the Dacotahs are the bravest of all. We will go to that great camp,
+and take away those ponies. Sun Bird is a good leader. Our brother,
+White Otter, is a great chief. I see many brave warriors sitting here.
+We are very strong. Yes, my brothers, we will take away those ponies."
+
+The boastful assurance of Sitting Eagle roused the Minneconjoux to a
+great pitch of enthusiasm. For the moment their ardor overcame their
+caution, and they began to talk loudly and utter wild threats against
+their foes.
+
+"Come! come!" Lean Wolf cried, impatiently. "We are making too much
+noise. Are we like old women who cackle like foolish Magasapa, the
+goose?"
+
+The Minneconjoux instantly subsided into silence. They knew that it was
+not the part of warriors to give way to their emotions, and they felt
+guilty and ashamed. As Sun Bird showed no inclination to tell them
+anything more about the Blackfeet camp, most of them threw themselves
+upon the ground and resumed their slumbers. The three young scouts who
+had just returned from the top of the ridge followed their example, and
+it was not long before all except the vigilant sentinels about the edge
+of the camp were sleeping soundly.
+
+The day had ended and twilight had fallen upon the plain when Sun Bird
+and White Otter finally awakened. They felt rested and refreshed, and
+were eager to begin the great adventure which lay before them. As the
+entire company was awake, Sun Bird prepared to carry out his plans for
+advancing upon the Blackfeet camp. He called the sentinels who had
+watched through the night, and asked if they had seen or heard anything
+of their foes. They assured him that the night had passed without
+alarm.
+
+"It is good," said Sun Bird. "Now, my friends, I will tell you what I
+propose to do. See! the light has almost gone. When it gets dark I am
+going away to find out about that great camp. I am going to creep up
+close. Then I will find out what we want to know. Then we will know how
+to get those ponies. Now I am going to ask White Otter to go with me. He
+is a great scout. He has been to the Pawnee camp. He has been to the
+Crow camp. He has crawled up to the lodges of the Kiowas. Now I will ask
+this great scout to go to the Blackfeet camp with me."
+
+"I will go," White Otter told him.
+
+There were many others who were anxious to risk their lives for a peep
+into the great Blackfeet camp, but Sun Bird refused them. He knew that
+numbers increased the chances of discovery, and he determined to run no
+unnecessary risks. Besides, there were few, if any, warriors among the
+Minneconjoux who could match the scouting abilities of the Ogalala. As
+Sun Bird realized that the success of the undertaking might depend upon
+the thoroughness of the reconnaissance which he planned to make, he
+determined to rely solely upon White Otter and himself to carry it
+through.
+
+It was barely dark when they left the war party and set out for the
+Blackfeet camp. Their companions watched them depart, in silence, for
+they knew the danger to which they were about to expose themselves, and
+many alarming possibilities flashed through their minds.
+
+"They are very brave," said Sitting Eagle, as Sun Bird and White Otter
+disappeared into the shadows.
+
+Believing that it would be easier to accomplish their purpose if they
+traveled on foot, they left their ponies with their companions. Once at
+the edge of the plain, they hurried away in the direction of the low
+sage-grown ridge. When they finally saw it looming up before them, they
+realized that they must advance with more caution. If the Blackfeet
+expected an attack it was probable that they had posted sentinels at
+that spot, and the Sioux determined to take every precaution. The
+discovery of the warrior in the tree led them to believe that the ridge
+was a favorite watching place of their foes.
+
+Once at the base of the slope, the Sioux stopped and spent some time
+listening for the sound of voices. Then as they heard nothing to rouse
+their fears, they moved cautiously up the side of the ridge. When they
+reached the top they instantly located the camp by the glow from the
+fires. For a moment or so they watched silently. Then they descended
+through the sage, and moved out across the grim, black plain.
+
+"Now we must watch out," warned Sun Bird.
+
+Side by side, they sped through the night as swiftly and noiselessly as
+wolves on the trail of their prey. Their eyes were fixed on the alluring
+glow from the Blackfeet fires, they relied upon their ears to warn them
+of danger. The plain, however, was steeped in silence. They heard
+nothing but their own soft footfalls, and the gentle rustling of the
+grass against their buckskin leggings.
+
+"It is good," whispered Sun Bird. "The Blackfeet are in the camp eating
+buffalo meat. There is no one to stop us."
+
+"We must not be too sure about it," White Otter cautioned him.
+
+Then they heard something which brought them to a sudden stop. The dogs
+were barking furiously in the Blackfeet camp. The Sioux listened
+uneasily. Several disturbing possibilities entered their minds. Had the
+dogs caught their scent? It seemed impossible. White Otter raised a
+moistened finger to test the breeze. It blew from the camp. They felt
+relieved. Then another thought presented itself. Perhaps the Crows had
+moved against the Blackfeet camp. The Sioux listened for sounds of an
+attack. They heard only the savage baying of the dogs.
+
+"I believe the dogs are fighting for meat," said Sun Bird.
+
+"It is bad," White Otter replied, seriously. "If those dogs keep moving
+around, it will be hard to get near the camp."
+
+The thought troubled them. They knew that if one of those gaunt,
+wolf-like creatures caught their scent it would instantly skulk out upon
+the plain to investigate. Once it found them it would set up a racket
+that would soon draw the rest of the pack upon them, and the Blackfeet
+would be quick to realize the significance of the commotion.
+
+"There is only one thing to do," said White Otter. "We will wait here
+until the dogs quiet down. Then we will wait until they lie down to
+sleep. Then we will creep up to the camp. If we go ahead now, those dogs
+will find out about us."
+
+"Yes, I see that it is the only thing to do," agreed Sun Bird.
+
+It seemed a very long time to the impatient Sioux before the dogs
+finally became silent. However, as they had heard nothing to indicate
+alarm in the Blackfeet camp, they decided that the uproar had been
+caused by the dogs fighting over the scraps of buffalo meat which the
+Blackfeet had thrown them from their feast. In spite of the stillness,
+however, the Sioux feared to approach the camp until they had allowed
+the dogs time to gorge themselves and settle down to sleep. They waited,
+therefore, watching the twinkle of the camp fires, and listening for
+sounds from their foes.
+
+"Come," Sun Bird said, suddenly. "Everything is still. I believe the
+dogs have gone to sleep. We will creep up to the camp."
+
+"I am ready," White Otter assured him.
+
+Again they moved cautiously through the night until they were actually
+within bowshot of the lodges. Then they suddenly heard the solemn
+booming of the war drums, and the sound of singing. For a moment they
+turned to one another in alarm. Were the Blackfeet preparing for war?
+Then they guessed the truth.
+
+"It is the hunters," whispered White Otter, "They are dancing the
+Buffalo Dance."
+
+"It is good," Sun Bird told him. "All the people will be around the
+dancers. We can get close to the lodges."
+
+"Watch out for the dogs," cautioned White Otter.
+
+They advanced within half a bowshot of the camp, and then they dropped
+to the plain to watch. The camp was brightly illuminated by the light
+from the fires, and the Blackfeet were clearly visible as they passed
+between the lodges. The booming of the war drums and the singing
+continued, and the Sioux could hear even the short, sharp exclamations
+of the dancers as they kept time with the music. Still they were unable
+to see into the camp, and they determined to advance still closer.
+
+Slowly, a bow length at a time, they crept toward the nearest lodges.
+They moved with great caution, and stopped many times to make sure that
+the way was clear. They were in constant fear of the dogs. Although they
+had seen nothing of them, they realized that at any moment they might
+encounter them prowling about the borders of the camp.
+
+The Sioux had almost reached the lodges when they suddenly heard
+something moving directly behind them. They turned in alarm. Had a dog
+circled about them, and caught their scent? Their hearts beat wildly at
+the thought. Each moment they expected to hear the first savage yelp
+which would announce their approach to the Blackfeet. Then, as they
+listened, they heard footsteps. Some one was walking directly toward
+them. They were seized with panic. Discovery seemed certain. There was
+not a moment to spare. Pressing themselves close against the ground,
+they prepared to drive their arrows through their foe before he could
+utter an outcry. At that moment he turned from his course and passed
+without seeing them. His bent form, and slow, faltering gait convinced
+the Sioux that he was an old man. As he emerged into the firelight at
+the edge of the camp they saw that their guess was correct. A moment
+afterward he disappeared behind a lodge.
+
+"I believe he is a Medicine Man," whispered Sun Bird. "Perhaps he was
+out there making Medicine."
+
+"Perhaps," replied White Otter.
+
+Having recovered from their alarm, they crawled to the edge of the camp,
+and hid in the shadow of a lodge. Then they looked upon their enemies.
+The Blackfeet were gathered in the center of the camp. They were
+watching the wild antics of a company of dancers who were circling about
+the fire. The Sioux studied the assemblage with great care. White Otter
+was particularly curious, as it was the first time he had seen those
+people.
+
+The Blackfeet presented an interesting spectacle, as they celebrated
+the success of their hunters. The latter were especially picturesque.
+They had painted their faces and bodies and decorated themselves in a
+most weird and grotesque manner. Many wore the entire skin of a buffalo
+bull, including the head and horns. Others had fastened buffalo feet to
+their ankles so that they rattled and clacked at each stride of the
+dancer. Thus arrayed, they cavorted wildly about the fire, imitating the
+antics of the buffaloes. They pranced, and reared, and kicked, and
+roared. Some pawed the ground, and then lay down and wallowed as the
+buffaloes would do to rid themselves of flies. Others imitated the
+fierce encounter between two great rival bulls, pushing and jostling
+each other, and butting their heads together until the spectators
+shrieked with delight. It was a clever exhibition of mimicry, and more
+than once the Sioux were forced to smile.
+
+Then they turned their attention upon the spectators. Men, women and
+children had assembled in a great circle about the dancers. The Sioux
+made special note of the men. They were dark and tall, and powerful,
+with deep, broad chests, and wide sloping shoulders. They compared
+favorably in physique and bearing with the gallant Dacotah fighting men,
+and the two young scouts realized that they had come upon worthy foes.
+Closer to the dancers were the musicians, six old men, who thumped the
+war drums and sang the Buffalo Song in high, cracked tones. The Sioux
+gave little attention to them. Their eyes were focused on a small group
+of men who stood together some distance to the right of the singers.
+Their dress and manner proclaimed them men of importance, and the Sioux
+knew that they were the chiefs and counselors of the tribe.
+
+"That warrior who wears the bear robe is Many Buffaloes," Sun Bird
+whispered, excitedly.
+
+White Otter nodded understandingly, as he concentrated his attention
+upon the man whom Sun Bird had designated. The great Blackfeet war chief
+was a man slightly past the prime of life, whose massive frame, and
+bold, fearless features well confirmed the stories of his marvelous
+exploits on the war trail. He wore a great trailing war bonnet of eagle
+plumes, and carried a long coupstick decorated with the trophies which
+he had taken from his enemies. He carried himself with the dignity and
+hauteur of a great leader, and the Ogalala looked upon him with respect.
+
+"He looks like a warrior," White Otter told Sun Bird.
+
+"He is a great chief," declared Sun Bird.
+
+Many Buffaloes took no part in the ceremony. He stood apart with several
+of his associates and showed little interest in the wild capers of the
+dancers. His keen eyes, however, noted every action, and it was evident
+that his apparent indifference was largely assumed. He appeared to
+consider it beneath the dignity of a great war chief to show emotion
+upon so trivial an occasion.
+
+"Where is his black pony?" White Otter asked, eagerly.
+
+"I cannot tell you," said Sun Bird.
+
+"Come, we will try to find it," White Otter told him.
+
+Sun Bird looked uneasily into the eyes of his friend. White Otter's bold
+resolve filled him with alarm. A disturbing possibility swept through us
+mind. Did the daring Ogalala plan to enter the Blackfeet camp in search
+of the famous war pony? Sun Bird feared that it would be a fatal blunder
+to make the attempt at that time. Even if White Otter should succeed in
+leading away the pony without being seen, the loss would rouse the
+entire Blackfeet nation. They would immediately send strong war parties
+to search the plain, and the long, perilous journey of the Minneconjoux
+would have been in vain. Sun Bird appeared reluctant to agree to the
+proposal. White Otter instantly guessed the reason.
+
+"I see that you do not feel good about it," White Otter said, quietly.
+"I am a war leader. I am not going to do anything foolish. I am not
+going to try to take away that pony. I am going to find out where it is.
+Then I will wait until our brothers have run off the other ponies. Then
+perhaps I will try to take away that black pony."
+
+"It is good," Sun Bird said, with evident relief.
+
+They began to circle cautiously about the camp. It was perilous work.
+Bow in hand, they crept stealthily along in the shadows from the lodges,
+stopping every bow length to watch and listen. Where were the dogs? They
+would have given much to know. They knew that at any moment they might
+stumble upon them. They had gone about an arrow flight when they
+suddenly discovered one of the dogs lying beside a lodge. Was it asleep?
+they wondered. It was lying with its back toward them, and was only five
+or six bow lengths away. The Sioux watched it with bated breath. They
+realized that the slightest sound might rouse it. They feared to move.
+Still, it seemed equally perilous to loiter.
+
+"Come," breathed White Otter.
+
+For an instant Sun Bird hesitated. It was caution, not fear which held
+him back. It seemed folly to risk discovery when they had already
+learned so much about their foes. White Otter, however, was already
+creeping noiselessly into the shadows, and Sun Bird determined to follow
+him. Inch by inch they dragged themselves forward until they were
+opposite the dog. Then for a moment they hesitated. It had every
+appearance of being asleep, and the Sioux passed on.
+
+Then they discovered what they were risking their lives to see. Beside a
+great decorated lodge was a strongly made log corral, and above it
+appeared the long slender head and graceful neck of the famous black war
+pony. It was watching the glow in the center of the camp, and nervously
+twitching its ears at the noise. White Otter gazed upon it with eager,
+fascinated eyes. It was a noble trophy, and he longed to possess it. The
+opportunity seemed before him. Impulse urged him to act. He paused to
+consider. Loyalty held him back. He realized that his own ambition must
+be sacrificed to insure the success of the Minneconjoux. They had
+suffered a great loss at the hands of the Blackfeet. They had made a
+long and perilous journey to recover the stolen ponies. Their success
+depended upon keeping the Blackfeet in ignorance of their approach
+until they were at the camp. White Otter made a quick, and final
+decision.
+
+"Come," he whispered. "I have found out what I wanted to know. We will
+go."
+
+"It is good," said Sun Bird.
+
+They crept slowly from the edge of the camp. Then when they were a safe
+distance from the lodges they rose to their feet and sped away into the
+night.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XVI
+
+OFF WITH THE PONIES
+
+
+The following night the Minneconjoux set out to make their attack upon
+the Blackfeet. Long before it was dark Sitting Eagle and Lean Wolf and
+Running Dog left the ravine and rode away to watch from the ridge to the
+southward of the camp. Then as the twilight faded from the plain the war
+party followed swiftly on the trail of the scouts. Riding in pairs, the
+Sioux passed on their way in grim silence. When they finally saw the low
+ridge directly before them, they stopped and listened anxiously for word
+from the scouts.
+
+"Ho, my brothers, the way is clear, but the fires are still burning in
+the Blackfeet camp," said Lean Wolf, as he suddenly rode out of the
+night.
+
+"We must wait," Sun Bird told him.
+
+In a few moments they heard the sharp bark of the little gray fox, a
+short distance to the eastward. Sun Bird waited until he heard it three
+times, and then he replied. Soon afterward Running Dog appeared.
+
+"I have been a long ways over there," he said, indicating the east. "I
+saw nothing of our enemies. Their fires are burning. We must wait."
+
+"Yes, my brother, we will wait," Sun Bird assured him.
+
+It was some time before Sitting Eagle finally arrived. Then he too
+suddenly rode out of the darkness.
+
+"I have been close to the Blackfeet camp," said the famous scout. "I saw
+the light of many fires. It is bad. We must wait."
+
+"We will wait," said Sun Bird.
+
+Then, as the stern Minneconjoux fighting men gathered about the youthful
+war leader, Sun Bird announced his plans for running off the ponies.
+
+"My brothers, we are in sight of the great Blackfeet camp," he said,
+softly. "It is not far beyond this ridge. We have come a long ways. We
+have come to do a big thing. We must go through with it. We will wait
+here until the fires die down. Then we will know that the Blackfeet have
+gone to the lodges. Then we will ride over there and run off the ponies.
+Now I will tell you how to do it. There are many ponies out there on the
+plain. There are other ponies near the lodges. When we cross over this
+ridge I will show you where to find the ponies. When we get near the
+camp we must separate. Some must go out on the plain to get those
+ponies, and some must go to get the ponies that are near the camp. White
+Otter is a great war chief. I will ask him to be the leader of those who
+go to get the ponies that are near the camp. Sitting Eagle is a great
+war leader. I will ask him to be the leader of those who go to run off
+the ponies on the plain. Many of us must wait near the camp to fight
+back the Blackfeet. I will be the leader. Now I have told you the way to
+do this thing."
+
+"It is good," agreed the Minneconjoux.
+
+While they waited impatiently for the Blackfeet fires to die down, many
+of the war party left their ponies with their friends and crawled to the
+top of the ridge to watch the camp. Others dismounted and threw
+themselves upon the plain to rest. There was little talking. The Sioux
+realized that they were about to match themselves against a strong and
+wily foe who greatly outnumbered them, and the thought made them
+serious. They knew that the time for boasting had passed, and the time
+for action was at hand. There was not one of the company, however, who
+had the slightest fear. They believed that Dacotah courage would more
+than offset the superior strength of the Blackfeet, and they felt
+confident of success.
+
+The night was more than half gone when the watchers returned from the
+ridge and reported that the last flickering glow had faded from the
+Blackfeet camp. The announcement roused the Sioux to action. Springing
+upon their ponies, they waited eagerly for the word to advance.
+
+"My brothers, the Blackfeet have gone to their lodges," said Sun Bird.
+"Pretty soon they will be asleep. It is good. They will not know about
+us until they hear us running off the ponies. Come, Dacotahs, we will
+go."
+
+The summons stirred their fighting blood. They longed to send the
+Dacotah war cry ringing across the plain as a challenge to their foes.
+They stifled the temptation, however, and crossed the ridge in silence.
+All evidence of the Blackfeet camp had vanished into the night, and Sun
+Bird chose the north star to guide him on his way.
+
+The preliminary reconnaissance which Sun Bird and White Otter had made
+the previous night proved of great value. At that time they had
+carefully noted the contour of the plain between the ridge and the camp,
+and had estimated distances between certain prominent landmarks which
+they had retained in their memory. Now, as they found them, they were
+able to guess how closely they were approaching the Blackfeet camp. When
+he believed that they had gone half way, Sun Bird ordered a halt, and
+proceeded to divide the war party. The younger, less experienced
+warriors were assigned to the companies who were to run off the ponies,
+while the renowned fighters and famous scouts were chosen as a rear
+guard to fight back the Blackfeet. Then Sun Bird carefully explained the
+location of the ponies.
+
+"Now we are ready to go ahead with this thing," he said. "But before we
+begin I will tell you something. When you are ready to ride off the
+ponies that are on the plain you must make many quick barks of the
+little gray fox. Then you must wait. When White Otter and his brothers
+hear it they will know that you are ready. Then when they are ready they
+must make that signal. When it stops you must go ahead to run off the
+ponies. Then if the Blackfeet hear you we will be ready to hold them
+back. Keep these words. Do not go ahead until you hear the signal. I
+have finished."
+
+A short distance farther on the Sioux separated to make their raid
+against the Blackfeet. Sitting Eagle and his companions turned aside to
+approach the spot where the loose ponies were pastured. White Otter and
+his company continued toward the camp, and Sun Bird and the fighting men
+followed close behind him.
+
+When they were within several bowshots of the camp they stopped, and
+White Otter and three companions went forward. He had asked Little Raven
+to accompany him, and the young Minneconjoux rode at his side.
+
+"If the ponies begin to call we must make the signal, and be ready to
+rush ahead," said the Ogalala.
+
+When they finally saw the black, indistinct outlines of the corral, they
+stopped to listen. They knew that the lodges at the end of the camp were
+less than half a bowshot away. The slightest sound, therefore, might
+arouse the Blackfeet. White Otter turned to Little Raven.
+
+"Get down from your pony," he whispered.
+
+They dismounted and left their ponies with the two warriors who
+accompanied them. Then they moved swiftly toward the corral. They were
+within bow length of it when they heard the quick barks of the little
+gray fox some distance toward the east. Their hearts bounded at the
+sound. Sitting Eagle and his companions were ready to run off the
+ponies. White Otter rushed to the corral. He turned in dismay. The
+corral was empty.
+
+At that instant a horse whinnied in the Blackfeet camp. The Sioux ponies
+replied. A dog barked. Voices sounded close at hand. The Blackfeet were
+alarmed. Realizing that further caution was useless, White Otter sounded
+the signal.
+
+"Run to the ponies!" he cried to Little Raven.
+
+They heard their comrades riding forward to meet them. They also heard
+the thunder of many hoofs, and the wild yells of the Blackfeet.
+Springing upon his pony, White Otter raced recklessly toward the camp.
+Little Raven followed him. They found the village in wild disorder. The
+Blackfeet had been completely surprised.
+
+Out on the plain Sitting Eagle and his companions were driving away the
+captured ponies. The raid had been entirely successful, and the elated
+Sioux were already many arrow flights beyond the camp. Behind them Sun
+Bird and his force of fighting men were loitering within bowshot of the
+village, watching for White Otter with the other bunch of ponies. When
+he failed to appear, Sun Bird rode toward the corral to find him. He
+encountered the two warriors who had accompanied the Ogalala on his
+perilous mission.
+
+"Where are the ponies? Where is White Otter? Where is Little Raven?" Sun
+Bird asked, excitedly.
+
+"That place was empty," they told him. "White Otter and Little Raven
+rode away toward the Blackfeet camp."
+
+Sun Bird stared wildly into the face of the speaker. He could scarcely
+believe him. Then the truth suddenly flashed across his mind. He
+understood why White Otter had risked himself.
+
+"Yes, yes, I know about it," he said.
+
+He called the two riders to follow him and galloped away to lead his
+valiant company against the Blackfeet. The latter had rallied from their
+confusion and were riding from the camp.
+
+In the meantime White Otter and Little Raven had ridden boldly along the
+edge of the camp until they reached the spot where the famous black war
+pony was kept. Then White Otter dismounted, and left his pony with
+Little Raven. Taking advantage of the darkness and the confusion in the
+Blackfeet camp, the daring Ogalala moved swiftly between the lodges. It
+was only a moment or so before he encountered his foes. A frightened old
+woman took him for one of her people and ran to him for protection. He
+grumbled fiercely at her and sprang away before she recognized him. The
+next instant two excited warriors dashed past within bow length, and
+called him to follow them. Then the way seemed clear, and he hurried
+toward the corral. His heart beat wildly as he suddenly saw the log
+inclosure before him. When he reached it, however, he saw that it, too,
+was empty. The famous black pony had been taken away.
+
+For some moments the disappointed young Sioux lingered beside the
+corral. He was blaming himself for having refused the opportunity which
+had presented itself the night before. At that time the great trophy had
+been almost within his grasp. Now he believed it was forever beyond his
+reach. He told himself that he had been foolish to surrender his chance.
+Then he suddenly thrilled with the pride of sacrifice. He was a Dacotah,
+and the Dacotahs had relied upon him to help them against their foes. He
+had nobly performed his duty to the tribesmen who had given him their
+confidence. His act had brought success to the Minneconjoux. The thought
+roused him. His own loss was forgotten as he rejoiced in the victory of
+his people.
+
+"I have done a good thing," he said, joyfully.
+
+Then as he saw fires beginning to gleam in various parts of the camp, he
+realized that it was time to go. As he ran toward the edge of the camp a
+dog suddenly appeared before him. It faced him with bared fangs and
+flashing eyes, and its deep, ugly growls gave warning of an intention to
+fight.
+
+"Hi, you foolish Blackfeet dog," cried White Otter, as he drove his
+arrow through it. "Now your people will know that I have been in their
+village."
+
+He bounded past the struggling dog, and ran from the camp. Little Raven
+was waiting with the ponies.
+
+"Come," cried White Otter, as he sprang upon the piebald. "The Blackfeet
+have ridden away on the war ponies. Some one took away that black pony.
+Now we must go to help our brothers. Listen! I hear them making a big
+fight."
+
+Sounds of battle came from directly ahead of them, and White Otter knew
+that Sun Bird and his companions were fighting back the Blackfeet.
+Calling Little Raven to follow him, the daring young war chief raised
+his voice in the war cry, and raced away to engage in the fight.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XVII
+
+HOTLY PURSUED
+
+
+Once aware of what had happened, the enraged Blackfeet rushed from the
+camp like a swarm of angry bees. Led by their great war chief, Many
+Buffaloes, they rode recklessly out upon the plain to overtake the
+daring foes who had run off their ponies. They had not gone an arrow
+flight, however, before they collided with the Sioux.
+
+"Come, my brothers, it is time to fight!" cried Sun Bird.
+
+The resolute band of Sioux fighting men charged furiously upon their
+foes. They were outnumbered three to one, but the fierceness of their
+attack deceived the Blackfeet and threw them into confusion. Having
+recognized the Dacotahs, the Blackfeet knew from experience what sort of
+resistance to expect from those powerful and courageous foes.
+
+"The Sioux! The Sioux!" they cried, fiercely.
+
+Then, as Sitting Eagle and his companions raced the captured ponies
+through the night, Sun Bird and his company of warriors fought
+desperately to hold back the Blackfeet. The latter, however, soon became
+aware of their superiority in numbers, and the discovery gave them
+confidence. Recovering from their momentary disorder, they made a
+desperate attempt to break through their enemies.
+
+The Sioux, however, held their ground, and the fighting was at close
+quarters. There were many thrilling encounters. Lean Wolf fought three
+Blackfeet warriors and overcame all of them. Sun Bird had his pony
+killed beneath him, and then killed his foe and took his horse. Feather
+Dog became separated from his companions and was compelled to fight off
+an entire company of Blackfeet until some of his friends discovered his
+plight and rushed to his assistance.
+
+In spite of their bravery, however, the Sioux were unable to overcome
+the odds against them. It was not long before they realized that it
+would be folly to sacrifice themselves in attempting to match strength
+with their foes. The Blackfeet were too strong to be held back. The
+Sioux saw that their only chance of success was in making a running
+fight.
+
+"We must follow after the ponies," said Sun Bird.
+
+The moment they gave way the Blackfeet interpreted it as a sign of
+defeat. Feeling sure of victory, they charged recklessly forward, and
+attempted to throw the Sioux into a rout. Instantly alert to his peril,
+Sun Bird brought his company to a stand, and fought with a grim ferocity
+that soon convinced the Blackfeet of their mistake. They realized that
+victory was far from being won, and they became somewhat more cautious.
+After several costly and futile attempts to make the Sioux give ground,
+they suddenly divided their forces, and a strong company swept around
+the Sioux flank.
+
+"They are passing! They are passing!" the Minneconjoux cried in alarm.
+
+At that moment White Otter and Little Raven joined the war party. They
+had fought their way through the very midst of their foes, and reached
+their companions in safety. The presence of the famous young war chief
+greatly encouraged the Minneconjoux.
+
+"There is only one thing to do," White Otter said, hurriedly, as Sun
+Bird turned to consult him. "We must keep ahead of those Blackfeet."
+
+Acting upon his advice, the Sioux suddenly gave way and raced across
+the plain in pursuit of Sitting Eagle and the band of ponies. Behind
+them thundered the main force of Blackfeet, and at their right rode the
+company that had succeeded in getting past them.
+
+"When we come to the ponies we must make a big fight," White Otter
+declared, grimly, as he rode beside Sun Bird.
+
+"Yes, yes," agreed Sun Bird.
+
+The Blackfeet kept close behind them, and the Sioux were in constant
+peril from their arrows. Whenever the Blackfeet came too near, however,
+the Sioux turned upon them and fought them off. Thus they made their way
+across the plain until they overtook Sitting Eagle and his companions.
+The latter had heard them approaching, and had rounded up the ponies and
+prepared to fight.
+
+"Keep going! Keep going!" shouted Sun Bird. "We will hold back the
+Blackfeet."
+
+"Yes, keep going!" cried White Otter. "Run the ponies until you come to
+that big gully. Then wait for us."
+
+Sitting Eagle and his company barely got the ponies under way before the
+Blackfeet were upon them. Sun Bird and the war party fought savagely to
+hold them off, but the company of Blackfeet who had ridden along the
+Sioux flank circled under cover of the darkness and reached the herd.
+
+"Hold the ponies! Hold the ponies!" shouted Sitting Eagle, as the wily
+Blackfeet attempted to stampede them.
+
+Yelling fiercely, they charged close up to the alarmed ponies, and threw
+them into wild disorder. Frightened into a panic by the noisy tumult,
+the bewildered animals tried to break from their captors and flee across
+the plain. Sitting Eagle and his companions made valiant efforts to hold
+them under control, but the Blackfeet were riding furiously about the
+herd, and making desperate efforts to kill the men who guarded it.
+
+In the meantime Sun Bird and the Minneconjoux war party were fighting a
+thrilling battle with the main force of their foes. The latter had again
+rushed to close quarters, and the Sioux were in desperate straits.
+Greatly outnumbered, they fought with a reckless courage that astounded
+their enemies. Try as they might, the Blackfeet were unable to break
+through the heroic company that confronted them. Led by Many Buffaloes
+himself, the bravest warriors in the Blackfeet nation hurled themselves
+against the Sioux with a daring abandon that would have speedily routed
+less valiant foes. The Sioux, however, repulsed each savage attack with
+a dogged ferocity that gradually shattered the confidence of their
+foes.
+
+Sitting Eagle and his gallant band were less successful. They found it
+impossible to keep the ponies under control, and at the same time defend
+themselves against the Blackfeet. They were threatened with disaster and
+began to lose heart.
+
+"Come, Dacotahs, show these people how to fight!" cried Sitting Eagle.
+
+At that moment White Otter led a company of Minneconjoux against the
+Blackfeet who had attacked the herd. Roused by the courage of the young
+Ogalala war chief, the Minneconjoux warriors charged furiously upon the
+surprised Blackfeet and completely overwhelmed them with the fierceness
+of their attack. For a moment only the Blackfeet opposed them, and then
+as White Otter drove his arrow through the leader of the company the
+others lost courage and retreated into the night.
+
+"Come," shouted the Ogalala. "Drive away the ponies!"
+
+Sitting Eagle and his comrades instantly got the ponies in motion. Then
+the determined Blackfeet again charged forward to gain possession of the
+herd. This time, however, they were met by White Otter and his gallant
+band of fighters. They fought with a fiery zeal that soon threw fear
+into the hearts of their foes. Riding boldly at the head of his
+companions, White Otter dashed recklessly among the Blackfeet, and threw
+them into confusion. Then as they wavered he raised the piercing Dacotah
+war cry, and led his tribesmen in a furious assault that caused the
+astounded Blackfeet to flee wildly before him. He followed them a long
+distance across the plain, and exacted heavy toll from the laggards.
+Then he suddenly heard Sun Bird and the rest of the war party riding
+toward the south.
+
+"Come," he cried. "Our brothers are running ahead of the Blackfeet. We
+must find out about it."
+
+Having subdued his foes, he turned and led his comrades to join the
+Minneconjoux. When he finally overtook them he found Sun Bird in high
+spirits. The skillful young war leader had completely defeated his foes.
+
+"The Blackfeet are getting cautious," said Sun Bird. "See, they are
+keeping far behind. I believe they are afraid of us."
+
+The Blackfeet appeared to have lost much of their confidence. Having
+lost heavily in the desperate fighting with the Sioux, they seemed
+unwilling to risk coming again to close quarters with those indomitable
+foes. Although they still continued to follow them, they were content to
+remain safely beyond arrow range. The Sioux hoped that they would soon
+abandon the pursuit.
+
+"Pretty soon they will turn back," declared Sun Bird. "Then they will go
+to the village, and tell their people what a great fight they made."
+
+"Well, they will not bring back those ponies," laughed Little Raven.
+
+Daylight was breaking when the Sioux again overtook their comrades with
+the captured ponies. Sitting Eagle had stopped in the bottom of a deep
+ravine through which trickled a tiny stream. The Sioux saw at once that
+it offered them splendid protection against their foes.
+
+"It is good," Sun Bird said, heartily. "Now we will see what the
+Blackfeet will do."
+
+The latter had already stopped, and were apparently discussing the
+advisability of attempting to drive the Sioux from their shelter. For a
+long time they seemed unwilling to make the effort. The Sioux had left
+the ponies in the bottom of the ravine, and were lying along the top of
+the bank watching their foes with great interest. They had no intention
+of leaving the ravine until the Blackfeet had either made an attack or
+withdrawn from the vicinity.
+
+"Perhaps they will wait until it gets dark," suggested Little Raven.
+
+"No, I do not believe it," Sun Bird told him. "I believe they will do
+something pretty soon."
+
+"Yes, my brother, that is how I feel about it," said White Otter.
+
+The three young warriors were lying beside one another at the top of the
+ravine. On each side of them were the other members of the war party,
+except a few young warriors who had been left in charge of the ponies.
+White Otter noted, however, that some of the Minneconjoux were missing.
+Among them were Proud Hawk and Painted Bird, the two young warriors who
+had served as scouts for the war party. The eyes of the Ogalala flashed
+threateningly as he realized that they and their absent companions had
+been killed by the Blackfeet.
+
+"It is bad," Sun Bird said, solemnly. "Those brave warriors were my
+friends. I saw Proud Hawk fall from his pony. I was close beside him. I
+tried to carry him off, but the Blackfeet killed him. I saw Painted Bird
+making a great fight. The Blackfeet were all around him. They must have
+killed him. I tried to get near him, but some Blackfeet rushed upon me
+and killed my horse. I had a hard time to get away."
+
+"Well, we must not think about it," said White Otter. "A warrior must
+always be ready to die. Those men were very brave. It is enough. We will
+tell our people about them."
+
+"Yes, we will call out their names when we ride through the camp,"
+replied Sun Bird. "We will tell our people that we sent many Blackfeet
+to walk behind our brothers on the Long Trail."
+
+Then their thoughts were diverted by the sudden activity of the
+Blackfeet. They were advancing slowly across the plain, singing their
+war songs, and shouting boastful threats against the Sioux. The latter
+watched them with little fear. They realized that the possession of the
+ravine had turned the odds in their favor. Besides, they strongly
+doubted that the Blackfeet would actually venture within bowshot.
+
+"They will keep away," Sun Bird said, confidently.
+
+It was not many moments before his words were verified. The Blackfeet
+had suddenly stopped beyond arrow range. They were still chanting the
+war songs, and shouting threateningly, but they showed no inclination to
+approach nearer the ravine. The Sioux, however, watched them closely.
+They knew that at any moment their wily foes might throw aside their
+caution and sweep forward in a furious attack.
+
+"See, that great chief, Many Buffaloes, is giving them strong words,"
+Sun Bird said, eagerly, as he seized White Otter by the arm.
+
+The Ogalala made no reply. His eyes were following every move of the
+famous Blackfeet war chief. The latter had ridden out in front of his
+tribesmen and was making a fiery address. Several times he wheeled his
+pony and swept his arm toward the Sioux. They felt certain that he was
+rousing his warriors for a final attempt to recapture the ponies. It was
+evident that his words were accomplishing the desired effect. The
+Blackfeet were becoming greatly excited. The Sioux grew serious. They
+had great respect for the courage and ability of the renowned Blackfeet
+leader, and they feared that he was preparing to carry through some bold
+stroke which might still bring victory to the Blackfeet.
+
+"Many Buffaloes is going to do something big," Sun Bird told White
+Otter. "He is very brave. We must watch out."
+
+White Otter took little notice of the warning. His entire attention was
+concentrated upon the spirited black pony, and its famous rider.
+Everything else had passed from his mind. Even the great company of
+jeering Blackfeet had suddenly faded from his vision. He saw nothing but
+the Blackfeet war chief, and his prancing black pony. He watched them
+with flashing, fascinated eyes. Then Many Buffaloes dramatically passed
+his bow, quiver and arrows to one of his tribesmen, and turned toward
+the Sioux with his war club raised. White Otter uttered a short, fierce
+exclamation of satisfaction. He had instantly interpreted the maneuver,
+and his heart bounded with hope.
+
+As the Blackfeet chief rode slowly toward the ravine, singing his war
+song and flourishing his war club, White Otter passed his bow and
+arrow-case to Sun Bird and scrambled wildly down the steep side of the
+ravine.
+
+"That man is very brave," he cried, excitedly. "Tell your people that
+they must not try to kill him when he comes close. I am going to ride
+out there to meet him."
+
+"No, no, that would be foolish!" Sun Bird shouted in alarm. "He is
+riding that great Medicine Horse. You cannot catch him. He will lead you
+over there to the Blackfeet, and they will kill you."
+
+"We will see," White Otter replied, lightly, as he ran to the piebald.
+
+In the meantime the Blackfeet chief was fearlessly approaching the
+ravine. He was already well within bow range, but the Sioux withheld
+their arrows. There were two reasons. In the first place Sun Bird had
+called out and warned them against killing Many Buffaloes, and in the
+second place his bold defiance insured his safety. The Sioux understood
+his reckless maneuver as a challenge to their manhood, an invitation for
+one of their leaders to come out and meet him in personal combat. To
+have killed him from shelter, under those circumstances, would have made
+them weaklings and cowards in the eyes of their foes. The Sioux felt
+compelled to respect the code of honor which prevailed even between the
+most bitter enemies. They realized, therefore, that one of their number
+must accept the defiant challenge of the Blackfeet chief, or else the
+latter must be permitted to return to his tribesmen in safety.
+Nevertheless, the Minneconjoux knew that if any one went forth to meet
+him the wily war leader would rely upon the phenomenal speed of his pony
+to carry him to safety, and decoy his enemy within bow shot of his
+warriors. For that reason they made great efforts to dissuade White
+Otter from his purpose.
+
+"Many Buffaloes has done this thing many times, but we have no ponies
+that can come up with him," the Minneconjoux told White Otter. "If you
+follow him the Blackfeet will surely kill you."
+
+"I am going," White Otter replied, firmly.
+
+A moment afterward he rode out upon the plain. The Blackfeet greeted his
+appearance with savage yells of derision. The Sioux raised the great
+Dacotah war cry to give him courage. Many Buffaloes stopped and waited
+for him to approach.
+
+"White Otter is a great warrior; he is very brave; that pony is very
+fast, but I believe he will be killed," Sun Bird said, fearfully.
+
+The solemn faces of the Minneconjoux gave endorsement to his fears.
+They, too, believed that the reckless Ogalala was going to his death.
+Having witnessed the speed of the famous black war pony, they felt
+certain that White Otter would never get within striking distance of the
+Blackfeet chief. Their only hope was that the Ogalala would discover his
+peril in time to turn back and save himself from the treacherous
+Blackfeet.
+
+"Then we must be ready to rush out and help him," said Sun Bird.
+
+At that instant White Otter raised the war cry, and raced toward the
+Blackfeet chief. The latter waited until the Ogalala was almost upon
+him, and then he turned his pony and rode furiously toward his yelling
+tribesmen. A moment afterward he twisted about and laughed shrilly, as
+he shook his war club at the Sioux. Enraged by the taunt, White Otter
+struck his pony with the heavy rawhide quirt. The piebald bounded
+forward at a speed which caused the Minneconjoux and the Blackfeet to
+stare in silent amazement. With each stroke of the lash the wonderful
+little beast ran faster. The famous Blackfeet pony was a full length in
+the lead, but the piebald was actually gaining. The Minneconjoux could
+not believe it possible.
+
+"Many Buffaloes is holding back," they told one another. "He is trying
+to draw White Otter near his people."
+
+"No, no, it is not so!" Sun Bird shouted, excitedly. "See, the Dacotah
+pony is running faster!"
+
+It was true. Sioux and Blackfeet both realized it. Many Buffaloes looked
+over his shoulder and was equally astounded. The piebald had cut his
+lead in half and was still gaining. Alarmed at the discovery, Many
+Buffaloes lashed the black pony to its best speed. It ran as no other
+horse in the great Blackfeet nation had ever run before, but the piebald
+ran even faster. White Otter was within less than half a pony-length of
+the Blackfeet chief. The latter, however, was almost within bow shot of
+his tribesmen. The Minneconjoux realized that unless White Otter
+overtook the black pony within the next few strides he would be at the
+mercy of his foes. The thought drove them into a frenzy of excitement.
+
+"See, see, he has caught Many Buffaloes!" Sun Bird shouted, wildly.
+
+The piebald had closed the gap, and was drawing abreast of the Blackfeet
+pony. Enraged by the glorious achievement of the Sioux pony, the
+Blackfeet raced forward to save their chief from defeat. At that moment,
+however, White Otter drew even with his foe. Yelling defiantly, Many
+Buffaloes swung his war club at the head of the Ogalala. White Otter
+crouched and barely escaped the deadly blow. Then before the Blackfeet
+chief could regain his balance the agile young Sioux swung his own
+weapon and knocked Many Buffaloes from his horse. The next moment he
+secured control of the famous black war pony. Turning the ponies in
+their tracks, he raced toward the ravine with the entire company of
+Blackfeet close behind him.
+
+Leaving a few warriors in the ravine to guard the ponies, the Sioux
+galloped madly across the plain to rescue White Otter. Once he got the
+ponies under way, however, there was slight chance of the Blackfeet
+overtaking him. Stride by stride he drew away from his pursuers, who
+were too busily engaged lashing their ponies to think of shooting their
+arrows. When they finally did make use of their bows they found
+themselves already within range of the Minneconjoux. The latter shot
+their arrows with deadly effect, and the disheartened Blackfeet wavered
+before the attack. Then, as White Otter dashed among them, the Sioux
+flashed about and raced back to the ravine without losing a man.
+
+"Well, my brothers, I have showed you that the Dacotah ponies can run,"
+White Otter said, quietly as he dismounted in the midst of his
+enthusiastic tribesmen.
+
+"White Otter, I believe the pony that Curly Horse gave you is a Medicine
+Pony," Sun Bird declared, seriously. "Perhaps that is why it was so
+fierce when you began to ride it. I believe my father had something to
+do with it. He is a great Medicine Person."
+
+"It may be true," White Otter told him, as he stroked the neck of the
+little piebald.
+
+"Yes, yes, Rain Crow must have had something to do with it," declared
+the superstitious Minneconjoux.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XVIII
+
+THE STAMPEDE
+
+
+The Blackfeet made no attempt to follow the Sioux to the ravine.
+Instead, they turned about, and rode far from arrow range. They carried
+off their chief and several warriors who had fallen in the skirmish, and
+the Sioux were in doubt whether the famous war leader had been killed,
+or only wounded, by the blow from White Otter. It was plain, however,
+that the Blackfeet had finished the fight. They stopped for a few
+moments to shout idle threats against the Sioux and then rode slowly
+toward the north.
+
+"Well, my brothers, the Blackfeet have gone," said Sun Bird. "It is
+good. We have done what we came here to do. We have taken away these
+ponies. We have made a big fight. We have sent the boastful Blackfeet
+back to their lodges. My friends, those are big things to talk about.
+Well, I will tell you that White Otter has done the biggest thing of
+all. You all know about it. Look at that black pony. You all know how
+it came here. It is something to tell about. Now, my brothers, I must
+tell you something different. We must not feel too big about these
+things. We are a long ways from our people. We have many ponies. We
+cannot travel fast. The Crows and the Flatheads are still ahead of us.
+Perhaps we shall meet them. We must keep thinking about it. Yes, my
+brothers, we must be cautious."
+
+"My friends, those are good words," declared Lean Wolf. "What Sun Bird
+says is true. We have fought back the Blackfeet, but other enemies may
+be waiting for us. We have many good ponies. We must take them to our
+village. Perhaps it will be a hard thing to do. The Crows would like to
+get those ponies. Yes, I believe the Flatheads would like to get them.
+We would feel foolish if we lost them. We must be cautious."
+
+The Minneconjoux found it difficult to restrain their enthusiasm. The
+younger warriors, especially, were eager to celebrate their victory over
+the Blackfeet. They rushed to the bottom of the ravine, and crowded
+forward to count coup upon the Blackfeet pony by striking it with their
+hands. The act was a substitute for striking an enemy, and gave them the
+privilege of reciting the details of some daring exploit which they had
+performed in the fight with their foes. Besides, the Minneconjoux still
+looked upon the black war pony as something mysterious, a strange
+Medicine Creature possessing superior powers of speed and endurance.
+They hoped that in laying their hands upon it they might in some way
+absorb some of its mystical powers.
+
+In the meantime Sun Bird had sent scouts to follow the Blackfeet, to
+make sure that they were actually going to their village. Other riders
+had crossed the plain to the southward to learn if it would be safe to
+travel in that direction with the ponies. The day was well advanced when
+the scouts returned to the war party. The Minneconjoux gathered eagerly
+about them to learn what they had seen.
+
+"The Blackfeet are still going ahead," said Running Dog, who had
+followed them. "I believe they are going to their village."
+
+"Did you see anything of Many Buffaloes?" Sun Bird asked, anxiously.
+
+"Yes, I saw him sitting on a pony," declared Running Dog. "He was
+between two riders. I believe they were holding him up. I saw some other
+warriors lying across the backs of ponies. I believe they were tied
+there. Perhaps they were dead. The Blackfeet are traveling slow."
+
+"Well, we know that Many Buffaloes is alive," said Sun Bird. "No one can
+harm him. He must be very strong. Perhaps he is a Medicine Person."
+
+"My brother, I will tell you something different," said Sitting Eagle.
+"Perhaps the Blackfeet expected us to follow them. Perhaps they were
+holding Many Buffaloes on that horse to fool us. Perhaps he was dead."
+
+"Yes, that may be true," declared the Minneconjoux.
+
+Still, as they could not be sure, they were unable to reach a definite
+conclusion regarding the fate of the Blackfeet chief. While they were
+discussing it the scouts from the southward returned. They declared that
+the plain was free from foes.
+
+"It is good," said Sun Bird. "Now we will go ahead."
+
+The cautious young war leader planned his advance with the care and
+skill of a veteran. He realized that one blunder might undo all that had
+been accomplished, and turn the splendid victory into a staggering
+defeat. The Minneconjoux were fatigued, and their ponies were jaded, and
+Sun Bird knew that it might be difficult to overcome a strong force of
+foes if they were fresh and eager for battle. He determined, therefore,
+to use every safeguard against encountering his enemies.
+
+When the Sioux were ready to leave the ravine, scouts moved across the
+plain in advance and on both sides of them, and a small detail of
+warriors were left behind to make certain that the Blackfeet did not
+return. Then the war party was divided. White Otter and half of the
+force rode ahead. Behind them followed Sitting Eagle and the warriors in
+charge of the ponies. Sun Bird and the balance of the company brought up
+the rear.
+
+The day was far spent, and the Sioux hoped to reach water by the time
+night came upon them. Sun Bird planned to stop when it grew dark, and
+allow the ponies to rest until daylight. Then he decided to travel in
+the early morning and after nightfall, and to stop in some suitable
+shelter during the heated hours of the day.
+
+"We must keep the ponies fresh," he told his companions.
+
+Shortly before dark they came upon a large shallow pool on the open
+plain. As there was a heavy stand of grass for the ponies, Sun Bird
+determined to stop there for the night. The ponies were immediately
+turned loose to feed, and guards were appointed to watch them until
+daylight.
+
+It was not long, however, before the Sioux heard something which caused
+them considerable uneasiness. Low, rumbling peals of thunder sounded
+from the west. The Sioux looked anxiously into the heavens. The stars
+shone brightly overhead, but the distant sky appeared black and
+threatening. As they watched, a quick, darting flash of light zigzagged
+across the western sky. A dull, thudding crash of thunder boomed in the
+distance.
+
+"The Thunder Birds are talking--it is bad," Sun Bird said soberly, as he
+seated himself beside White Otter.
+
+"Yes, my brother, it is bad," agreed White Otter.
+
+Then for some time they sat in gloomy silence, watching the sky. A great
+mass of ominous black clouds rose steadily out of the west and blotted
+out the stars. Sharp, jagged streaks of lightning cut through the night.
+A fresh breeze stirred across the plain. The thunder sounded louder. It
+was evident that the storm was approaching.
+
+The possibility filled the Sioux with alarm. They looked anxiously
+toward the herd of ponies. They knew that it would be difficult to hold
+them under control when the storm broke upon them. Once thoroughly
+alarmed they might stampede, and race wildly across the plain. Then it
+would be necessary for the Sioux to ride recklessly through the night
+in an attempt to keep possession of the herd. It was a perilous task, in
+which many brave riders might lose their lives.
+
+"My brothers, the Thunder Birds are coming--it is bad," cried Sitting
+Eagle, as he came to find Sun Bird. "The ponies are sniffing the wind.
+They are uneasy. Some of them are running around."
+
+"We must hold them," said Sun Bird. "Every one must go out there and
+keep riding around them."
+
+"It is good," replied Sitting Eagle, as he galloped away.
+
+The war ponies had been either picketed or hobbled and left to feed,
+while the riders threw themselves upon the plain to rest from their
+exertions. Now, as the storm approached, there was great confusion as
+each warrior rushed to find his pony. Those who had picketed their
+ponies had little difficulty, but the hobbled animals had wandered some
+distance away, and their owners spent many anxious moments searching for
+them. White Otter and Sun Bird had picketed their ponies and they found
+them at once.
+
+"White Otter, you have done some big things--it is enough," said Sun
+Bird. "You must stay out of this. You have taken away the great black
+war pony. You must not lose it. When the Thunder Birds fly over us you
+must hold fast to that pony. Do not try to do anything else. I am your
+brother. Listen to my words."
+
+"I will do as you tell me to do," agreed White Otter.
+
+"It is good," cried Sun Bird, as he galloped toward the ponies.
+
+The riders had already stationed themselves about the herd and Sitting
+Eagle was racing about shouting instructions. The Sioux were in a high
+tension of excitement. The great storms which swept across the plains
+always filled them with superstitious awe. They believed that they were
+caused by the Thunder Birds, which they imagined to be two giant
+birdlike monsters that lived high up in the most inaccessible peaks of
+the loftiest mountains. The Sioux believed that these weird creatures
+possessed all sorts of mysterious powers and that at certain intervals
+they flew across the country to destroy those unfortunate people who had
+incurred their displeasure.
+
+"Some one has made the Thunder Birds mad--they are coming to drive away
+the ponies," the Minneconjoux told one another, in alarmed whispers.
+
+Their hearts filled with gloomy premonitions of impending disaster, as
+the storm rushed upon them. The breeze had freshened to a gale, the
+stars above them had vanished, the plain was smothered in darkness.
+Vivid flashes of light flickered across the sky. Loud, crashing peals of
+thunder rolled through the night. The ponies showed signs of terror.
+They crowded nervously together, with heads raised, snorting and
+whinnying. The Sioux rode anxiously around them, fearful that each
+startling flash would cause them to run.
+
+Then the storm suddenly broke upon them. A dazzling flare of light was
+followed by a terrifying crash of thunder and the ponies leaped forward
+in blind panic. The Sioux made desperate efforts to hold them in the
+herd, but the panic had spread to the riding ponies, and they were
+rearing and plunging in a manner that demanded the entire attention of
+the riders. Some of the more fiery animals bolted from control and raced
+wildly through the night. A moment afterward the herd broke through the
+gap in the circle and thundered across the plain. The fears of the Sioux
+were realized--the stampede had begun.
+
+Having witnessed the first break of the startled ponies, Sun Bird rode
+recklessly after the leaders in the hope of guiding them across the
+plain. Beside him rode Little Raven. Allowing their ponies to run at
+will, the Minneconjoux soon found themselves at the front of the herd.
+Then they suddenly realized their peril. Their lives depended upon the
+agility of their ponies. A fall meant instant destruction beneath the
+hoofs of the panic-stricken beasts behind them. However, there was
+little time to think of the danger. The foremost ponies had swerved
+toward the west and Sun Bird and Little Raven tried to turn them back.
+
+"We must not let them go that way!" Sun Bird shouted, anxiously. "The
+Crows and the Flatheads are over there."
+
+Lashing vigorously with their heavy riding quirts, they forced the
+ponies from their course and kept them running toward the south. Thus
+they rode through the height of the storm, risking their lives to redeem
+their pledge to return the ponies which the Blackfeet had driven away.
+
+Then, as the storm finally spent its fury, and passed across the plain,
+the wild stampede suddenly came to an end. Having run themselves into
+exhaustion, the ponies were glad to stop. A third of the herd, however,
+were missing. Sun Bird was dismayed by the discovery.
+
+"Come, my brothers, tell me how those ponies got away from you," he
+said, sharply.
+
+"We could not hold them all together," said Sitting Eagle. "I saw some
+ponies breaking away and when I rode after them some more ponies got
+away."
+
+"Yes, that is how it happened," declared Lean Wolf. "I saw two ponies
+turning away, and I chased them. When I was driving them back, I saw a
+big bunch of ponies turning around. Then I rode after them and brought
+some of them back. Then I stayed close by the herd. I saw it was the
+best thing to do."
+
+"Well, my friends, it is bad, but I see that you did the best you
+could," Sun Bird told them. "We had a hard time getting those ponies. We
+must not leave them for our enemies. There is only one thing to do.
+Sitting Eagle, you must keep going ahead with these ponies. When you get
+near our village you must stop and wait for us. Do not let our people
+see you until we come. My brothers, most of you must go with Sitting
+Eagle to help him fight our enemies. Some of us must stay here until it
+gets light. Then we will go out and look for the ponies that got away. I
+believe we will find them close by. Now I will call out the names of the
+men who must go with me to find the ponies. Listen, my brothers, I am
+going to call those names: Lean Wolf, Little Raven, Feather Dog,
+Running Dog, Falling Eagle, Brave Bear, Two Elks. These men will go with
+me. The rest of you must go with Sitting Eagle."
+
+As he finished speaking they heard two ponies galloping toward them. A
+few moments afterward White Otter appeared. The piebald and the
+Blackfeet pony were lathered with sweat. Neither, however, showed the
+slightest trace of exhaustion.
+
+"I have been a long ways," said the Ogalala. "These foolish ponies ran
+the wrong way. It was a long time before I could turn them around. Then
+I came very fast."
+
+"Now White Otter is here," said Sun Bird. "It is good. I am going to ask
+him to be the leader of the men who go with Sitting Eagle."
+
+Then the Sioux separated. Sitting Eagle and his escort of warriors rode
+away toward the south with the ponies while Sun Bird and his company of
+scouts remained behind to search for the missing horses.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XIX
+
+TRAILING THE RUNAWAYS
+
+
+Sun Bird and his companions were greatly encouraged when they looked
+across the plain at daylight and saw several of the stray ponies feeding
+a short distance to the northward. They hoped that others might be
+concealed behind some of the low hummocks which broke the level of the
+plain.
+
+"See, there are some of the ponies!" said Sun Bird. "We will go and get
+them. Then we will ride up on those little hills and look around. I
+believe we will see some more ponies."
+
+They cantered slowly toward the grazing ponies. There were five and they
+were feeding close together. They raised their heads and watched
+curiously as the horsemen approached, but they showed little fear. The
+Sioux, however, determined to take no chance of frightening them into
+another exhausting dash across the plain. As they rode within bow range
+they separated and circled carefully about the ponies. Then they
+gradually closed the net, and the ponies made little effort to escape.
+
+"Now I will tell you what to do," said Sun Bird, when they had secured
+the horses. "Some of you must keep these ponies. The rest of us will
+ride up on those high places and look around. I will ask Falling Eagle
+and Brave Bear and Two Elks to keep these ponies. Leave them where they
+are until we come back. Then we will drive them away."
+
+The three warriors who had been selected stationed themselves about the
+ponies and their comrades turned toward a low grassy slope to the
+westward. They had gone less than an arrow flight when their ponies
+suddenly raised their heads and looked toward the north. A moment
+afterward one of the ponies behind them whinnied. "There is something
+over there behind that hill," said Sun Bird as he turned about.
+
+At that instant a horseman appeared. They recognized him as Many
+Feathers, one of the warriors who had been left in the ravine to watch
+for the return of the Blackfeet. Having recognized his friends, Many
+Feathers returned their signal, and then disappeared behind the ridge.
+
+"Where has he gone?" Little Raven asked, anxiously.
+
+"We must watch," Sun Bird told him.
+
+Then Many Feathers and two comrades rode over the rise of the plain,
+driving four of the stray ponies before them. They came directly toward
+Sun Bird and his companions.
+
+"It is good," said Lean Wolf. "Our brothers are bringing some more
+ponies. Pretty soon we will find all that got away."
+
+"Well, my brothers, I see that you found some ponies," said Sun Bird, as
+Many Feathers and his comrades rode up.
+
+"Yes, we found them back there on the plain," said Many Feathers.
+
+The young warrior appeared to know about the stampede. He said that he
+and his companions had read the story from the tracks which they had
+followed from the pool.
+
+"Did you see anything of the Blackfeet?" inquired Sun Bird.
+
+"No," replied Many Feathers. "We waited a long time but they did not
+come back."
+
+"Did you see any more ponies?" Lean Wolf asked him.
+
+"No, we did not see any more," said Many Feathers.
+
+"My brothers, it is good you came here," Sun Bird told them. "Now I am
+going to ask you to take these ponies over there where you see Falling
+Eagle and Brave Bear and Two Elks. You must stay with them and help them
+watch the ponies until we come back."
+
+"We will go," said Many Feathers.
+
+Then Sun Bird and his companions rode to the top of the low ridge to the
+westward. They saw the rest of the ponies gathered in a small herd some
+distance out on the open plain. The sight filled them with joy. As they
+were about to go after them, however, they suddenly discovered two
+riders watching from a ridge beyond the ponies.
+
+"Hi, hi," Sun Bird cried, excitedly. "Someone has found the ponies. Now
+they are watching us."
+
+"It is bad," said Lean Wolf.
+
+Feeling certain that they had already been seen, the Sioux made no
+attempt to hide. They remained in open sight and tried to identify the
+distant horsemen. The latter were too far away to be recognized. The
+Sioux took hope at the thought. They knew that if they could not
+identify their foes, the latter would find it impossible to recognize
+them.
+
+"They must be Crows or Flatheads," said Sun Bird. "Anyway, I believe
+they are scouts."
+
+"It is bad," said Running Dog. "They will bring their people here to get
+those ponies."
+
+The Sioux were greatly disturbed by the possibility. As their little
+company numbered only eleven, they knew that they would be powerless
+before a strong force of their enemies. Aware that the unexpected
+emergency demanded quick action, they held a hurried council to decide
+what should be done. They saw many difficulties. In the first place they
+realized that if they rode directly toward the ponies they might drive
+them toward their foes. Still, to circle around behind the herd it would
+be necessary to approach close to their enemies. Then, too, the Sioux
+knew that if they succeeded in running off the ponies they would
+probably be followed by a strong force of their foes. As the ponies were
+already fatigued from their strenuous exertions, another long race might
+cause them to collapse.
+
+"It will be hard to get them away if our enemies try to stop us,"
+Running Dog said, gloomily.
+
+As he spoke the horsemen suddenly disappeared from the ridge. The Sioux
+looked at one another in alarm. They felt certain that one of the scouts
+had gone to warn his people, while the other concealed himself to watch.
+Sun Bird realized that it was time to act. Delay might prove fatal.
+
+"Come, my brothers, we must do something," cried the bold young war
+leader. "I am going to circle around behind those ponies. I will ask
+Lean Wolf to go with me. The rest of you must hide behind this hill
+until we drive the ponies to you. If our enemies come after us do not
+wait to help us. Go to our brothers and help them drive away those
+ponies. Send some one ahead of you to bring back the war party. Come,
+Lean Wolf, we will go."
+
+They were gone before their friends found time to reply. Moving boldly
+down the ridge, the daring scouts turned sharply toward the north and
+rode away at top speed. Their companions concealed themselves below the
+crest of the slope and watched them with anxious eyes. They believed
+that they were rushing into great peril and they had grave fears for
+their safety.
+
+"I do not feel good about this thing," Little Raven said, uneasily.
+"Perhaps those people over there are trying to fool us. Perhaps they are
+waiting until our brothers come close. Then they will come over the top
+of that hill and kill them."
+
+"Sun Bird is a good war leader. Lean Wolf is a great scout. They are
+sharp. Their ponies are fast. I do not believe they will let those
+people catch them," Feather Dog replied, reassuringly.
+
+Sun Bird and Lean Wolf rode many arrow flights toward the north before
+they finally swerved to the west. Some of the ponies were watching them,
+but as yet showed no inclination to run. The Sioux felt much relieved.
+They had feared that the nervous beasts might take fright at sight of
+them and flee toward the distant ridge.
+
+"If they keep still we will soon get behind them," Sun Bird said,
+hopefully.
+
+"Watch that hill," Lean Wolf cautioned him.
+
+"Do you see any one up there?" Sun Bird asked him.
+
+"No, I do not see any one, but we must be cautious," replied Lean Wolf.
+
+When they had passed the ponies they began to circle to come up on the
+other side of them. They were almost within arrow range of the ridge and
+they kept a sharp watch for foes. Then, as they turned to approach the
+ponies they heard a shout behind them. Glancing back they saw four Crow
+warriors racing down the slope at breakneck speed.
+
+"Come, get the ponies running!" shouted Sun Bird as he lashed his pony
+into a furious sprint.
+
+They rode madly toward the startled ponies, shouting and waving their
+arms to get the animals in motion. Once started, the ponies needed
+little urging. They had not entirely recovered from their wild panic of
+the previous night and the fierce shouts behind them sent them racing
+across the plain at their best speed.
+
+"Keep after the ponies, I will fight the Crows," Sun Bird cried,
+impulsively.
+
+"No, no, you must keep going ahead!" Lean Wolf shouted, fiercely. "If
+the Crows come close we will fight them back. Pretty soon we will reach
+our brothers. Then these warriors will turn back."
+
+He had barely ceased speaking before Little Raven and Feather Dog and
+Many Feathers and Running Dog swept over the ridge some distance to the
+northward of the ponies. Yelling savagely, they raced to the assistance
+of their tribesmen and at sight of them the Crows stopped in confusion.
+The odds had suddenly turned against them and they lost courage. They
+turned and raced away before the Sioux got within bowshot of them. The
+Sioux made no attempt to overtake them. Their one thought was to get
+away with the ponies before a stronger force of their foes came upon
+them.
+
+"We have driven away our enemies, now we must run off the ponies," cried
+Sun Bird.
+
+"Yes, we must keep going," said Lean Wolf.
+
+They drove the ponies over the ridges and ran them toward Falling Eagle
+and the warriors who were waiting with the other horses. Then Little
+Raven and Many Feathers hid below the top of the ridge to watch for the
+Crows.
+
+The Sioux knew that the Crow village was somewhere in the vicinity and
+they had little doubt that a strong force of those foes would soon set
+out in pursuit of them. However, they hoped to gain a sufficient lead to
+make it impossible for the Crows to overtake them before nightfall. Then
+they believed the Crows would abandon the chase.
+
+When they reached Falling Eagle and his companions the Sioux turned
+directly toward the south and drove the ponies across the plain at top
+speed. They hoped to reach the deep ravine in which they had hidden from
+the Crows and the Blackfeet.
+
+"Perhaps the Crows took us for Blackfeet," suggested Running Dog.
+"Perhaps they will go the other way to find us."
+
+"No, I do not believe it," said Lean Wolf. "Those warriors came close. I
+believe they know we are Dacotahs."
+
+For some time they kept the ponies running at their best speed and then
+as they saw nothing of their foes they gradually slackened the pace. For
+the balance of the day they rode over the plain at an easy canter and
+shortly before dark they came in sight of the abandoned stream bed.
+Their spirits revived at sight of it. They believed that even if the
+Crows should overtake them it would be possible to hold them off until
+scouts found White Otter and the war party and brought them to the
+ravine.
+
+"I do not believe the Crows can catch us now," said Sun Bird, as they
+drove the tired ponies into the ravine.
+
+"We can make a big fight in this place," Lean Wolf told him.
+
+As night fell Feather Dog followed the ravine toward the west to listen
+for the approach of the Crows. Soon after he had gone Little Raven and
+Many Feathers arrived. Their ponies showed the effects of fast riding.
+
+"Tell us what you have seen," said Sun Bird.
+
+"The Crows are coming," declared Little Raven. "It is a big war party.
+Those scouts tried to follow you, but we drove them back. We did that
+many times. Then the war party came and we ran away. The Crows are
+coming straight ahead. We rode fast to keep ahead of them. Pretty soon
+they will be here."
+
+"Well, there will be many against us, but we must get ready to fight,"
+Lean Wolf said, fearlessly.
+
+"No, my brother, I believe that would be foolish," Sun Bird told him.
+"The Crows are too strong for us. I am going to fool them. I will tell
+you how to do it. I am going to ask Running Dog and Falling Eagle and
+Brave Bear and Two Elks and Many Feathers and Broken Hand and Mad Bull
+to ride away with the ponies. I will make Running Dog the leader. At
+first you must turn toward the-place-where-day-begins. Then you must
+circle back and go toward our village. Pretty soon you will find our
+brothers. Then you must stop. When you go away the rest of us will stay
+here to fool the Crows. When they come close we will ride out and make a
+great noise. Then we will ride toward the mountains. We will keep
+shouting as if we are driving ponies. The Crows will follow us. Then we
+will circle around and fool them. I will ask Lean Wolf and Little Raven
+and Feather Dog to help me do this thing. Come, my brothers, drive away
+the ponies."
+
+"Hi, that is a great thing to do," Lean Wolf said enthusiastically.
+"Yes, I believe we will fool the Crows."
+
+As there was little time to spare, Running Dog and his companions
+immediately drove the ponies from the ravine and disappeared into the
+night. Sun Bird listened anxiously until the sounds of the hoofbeats
+had died away and then he turned to his comrades.
+
+"Well, my brothers, pretty soon the Crows will come, we must be ready,"
+he said.
+
+A moment later Feather Dog appeared. He said that he had heard the sound
+of galloping ponies and had come to investigate.
+
+"It was our brothers taking away the ponies," explained Sun Bird.
+
+Then he acquainted Feather Dog with the details of the wily trick to
+fool the Crows. The famous Minneconjoux scout immediately endorsed the
+plan.
+
+"It is good," he said, as his eyes twinkled merrily.
+
+"Listen," cried Little Raven.
+
+The Sioux immediately became silent. The hoofbeats of many ponies echoed
+across the plain. The Crows were galloping boldly toward the ravine. The
+thought filled Sun Bird with anxiety. He realized that if the bold
+stratagem failed, the warriors with the ponies were doomed. Once
+overtaken on the open plain, he felt sure they would be speedily
+surrounded and annihilated by the great Crow war party. He grew weak at
+the possibility. Then his pony called and his thoughts were diverted.
+The hoofbeats suddenly ceased. Having located their enemies the Crows
+had become cautious. The Sioux pony called again and Sun Bird made no
+attempt to stop it.
+
+"It is good," he said. "The Crows will think the ponies are here. Come,
+ride around and make a noise."
+
+They rode rapidly to and fro to make it appear that there were a number
+of ponies in the ravine. Then they suddenly swept up the side of the
+gully and raced across the plain. As they rode they snapped their riding
+quirts and yelled excitedly at imaginary ponies. Then they listened
+anxiously for sounds from the Crows. When they failed to hear them they
+gave way to despair. Sun Bird grew sick at heart. He feared that he had
+sent his comrades to their death.
+
+"Perhaps the Crows are keeping quiet until they get across that gully,"
+suggested Lean Wolf. "Perhaps they believe that some of us are waiting
+there to fight them back."
+
+At that instant a shrill yell of triumph rang through the night, and a
+moment afterward the Sioux heard the quick, sharp hoofbeats of galloping
+ponies directly behind them. The Crows had been deceived. They were
+following blindly on the false trail. The Sioux were wild with joy.
+Unmindful of their own peril, they were satisfied to know that their
+comrades and the ponies were safe.
+
+"It is good! It is good!" Sun Bird cried, joyfully. "We have fooled the
+Crows. Now our brothers will get away with the ponies."
+
+They continued to make a great noise, lest the Crows should suddenly
+discover their blunder. They rode furiously toward the west, and
+rejoiced in the thought that each stride of the ponies was luring their
+foes farther from those whom they wished to overtake. It was not long,
+however, before the Sioux realized that the Crows were gaining upon
+them. The discovery aroused them to their peril. They knew that if the
+Crows came up with them there would be little chance of escape.
+
+"Come, we must ride faster," Sun Bird cried, anxiously.
+
+They lashed the ponies into a terrific burst of speed and slowly drew
+away from their enemies. They knew, however, that it would be impossible
+to maintain the pace. They also realized that each moment was taking
+them farther from their course.
+
+"Now we must try to circle around," Sun Bird told them. "Do not make any
+more noise."
+
+They suddenly subsided into silence and turned sharply toward the south.
+Then their hearts bounded with joy as they heard the Crows blunder from
+the trail and continue toward the west. Having once lost them in the
+night, it seemed doubtful if the Crows would be able to find them before
+daylight.
+
+"We have got away," Sun Bird said, confidently. "The Crows cannot find
+us. Pretty soon they will go back."
+
+"Yes, I believe we are safe," replied Lean Wolf.
+
+"Sun Bird, you have done a big thing," declared Feather Dog. "You are a
+great war leader. I will tell our people about it."
+
+The Sioux laughed gleefully as they heard the Crows signaling far away
+toward the west. Then they turned toward the east to find their
+tribesmen. They rode steadily through the night and at daylight came
+upon the entire Minneconjoux war party at the waterhole which marked the
+boundary of the Minneconjoux hunting grounds. They were within a short
+day's travel of the great Sioux camp. The long war journey was almost at
+an end. Success seemed assured. The Sioux were elated.
+
+"My brothers, we have come together again," said Sun Bird. "I see you
+have kept the ponies. Now we are close to our village. Pretty soon we
+will be with our people. It is good."
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XX
+
+SAFE AT LAST
+
+
+The Sioux waited until the ponies had recovered somewhat from their
+fatigue and then they set out for the Minneconjoux camp. They rode gayly
+across the plain, talking and laughing and singing their war songs.
+Their task had been accomplished. Their fears had vanished. The wearying
+suspense was at an end. They were eager to reach their people, for they
+knew that a royal welcome awaited them. The day had almost ended,
+however, when they finally came in sight of the Minneconjoux village.
+
+"See, there are the lodges of our people," said Sun Bird. "Pretty soon
+some one will see us. We must get ready to ride into the camp."
+
+"You are the leader, you must go ahead," said Feather Dog.
+
+"Yes, Sun Bird must go ahead," cried the others.
+
+"Well, I will ask Dancing Rabbit to ride with me; it will make old
+Spotted Face feel good to see him," Sun Bird told them. "Then White
+Otter must follow close behind me. He has done the biggest thing of
+all."
+
+"It is good," cried the Minneconjoux.
+
+They advanced slowly toward the camp. Sun Bird and Dancing Rabbit rode
+in front. White Otter followed, leading the famous black war pony, and
+Little Raven rode beside him. Then came Lean Wolf and Feather Dog and
+Sitting Eagle and Running Dog and all the famous scouts. Behind them
+followed the great herd of ponies, surrounded by the balance of the war
+party.
+
+The Minneconjoux soon discovered the approaching horsemen and rushed
+from the camp in great excitement. As they recognized the riders and saw
+the great herd of ponies they were thrown into an ecstasy of joy. They
+gathered at the edge of the camp, singing and dancing and calling out
+the names of the warriors who had gone to fight the Blackfeet.
+
+"See, see, the great war party is coming!" they cried. "They are
+bringing many ponies."
+
+The war party raised their voices in the piercing Dacotah war cry. It
+echoed triumphantly across the plain and threw the camp into a tumult.
+Then the Minneconjoux suddenly recognized Dancing Rabbit. Men, women
+and children began to call his name.
+
+"Our brothers have brought back Dancing Rabbit!" they shouted. "See,
+Dancing Rabbit has come back to us! Look, Spotted Face, your grandson is
+alive! He is coming to your lodge."
+
+The aged warrior shaded his eyes with his hand and looked eagerly across
+the plain. He was trembling with anxiety. The Minneconjoux waited for
+him to speak.
+
+"Yes, my friends, it is Dancing Rabbit," he said, finally. "Wakantunka,
+the Great Mystery, has sent him back to me. It is good."
+
+A moment afterward the Minneconjoux discovered the black war pony. The
+sight of it astonished them into silence. They looked upon it with wild,
+inquiring eyes. Had they been mistaken? Could it really be the famous
+war pony of the great chief Many Buffaloes?
+
+"Yes, yes, it is the great black war pony!" Rain Crow cried, excitedly.
+"White Otter, my son, has brought it to our camp."
+
+When the war party came within bow range they stopped and waited while a
+delegation of noted warriors rode out to escort them to the camp. At the
+same time a company of youths raced eagerly across the plain to take
+charge of the ponies.
+
+Then the war party rode triumphantly into the village, singing their war
+songs and calling the names of the warriors who had been killed by the
+Blackfeet. As each missing warrior was mentioned his people began to
+mourn and cry out dismally in their grief. However, as his companions
+extolled his bravery the mourners stifled their sobs and thrilled with
+pride at his noble sacrifice.
+
+"A warrior must be ready to die," said Pretty Star, the mother of Proud
+Hawk. "My son was very brave. They are calling his name. He did a great
+thing for his people. It is enough."
+
+As the victorious warriors paraded through the village the people
+gathered eagerly about White Otter and the famous black war pony. Many
+of the old men and boys ran forward and struck the Blackfeet pony with
+their hands to count a coup against their foes. When he reached the
+center of the camp White Otter stopped and tied the Blackfeet pony
+before the lodge of Curly Horse, the Minneconjoux war chief.
+
+"See, White Otter has given the black war pony to Curly Horse," said the
+Minneconjoux. "It is a great thing to do."
+
+Curly Horse and the great men of the tribe had assembled before the
+medicine lodge to greet the war party. When the warriors lined up before
+him the famous chief stepped forward to address them.
+
+"I will call Sun Bird and White Otter to come and stand before me," said
+Curly Horse. "My brothers, both of you are young men, but you have done
+big things. Sun Bird, you are the leader of this war party. You have
+done what you set out to do. You have brought back the ponies that the
+Blackfeet took away. It was a hard thing to do. White Otter, you are a
+great chief. You have done many big things. Now you have done the
+biggest thing of all. I see that you have tied that great pony in front
+of my lodge. It makes me feel good. But I will not take it. You must
+take it to your people. Now I will speak to those brave warriors who
+went with you. My brothers, you have done a big thing. You were very
+brave. Now I will ask Rain Crow to give you some words."
+
+"My friends, you have done a great thing for your people," said Rain
+Crow, the Medicine Man. "Now we have many ponies. Some of them were
+Blackfeet ponies. It is good. Sun Bird, you are my son. Little Raven,
+you are my son. White Otter, I have called you my son. All three of you
+were very brave. It makes me feel big. White Otter, you have done the
+biggest thing of all. Our people will talk about it a long time. I have
+finished."
+
+When Rain Crow ceased speaking the Minneconjoux cried out for Sun Bird
+to talk to them.
+
+"Well, my people, you have asked me to give you some words," said Sun
+Bird. "First I will tell you about White Otter. He was very brave. He
+went into the Blackfeet camp. He fought back many Blackfeet. He rode
+after the great chief Many Buffaloes and caught up with him. Then he
+knocked him on the head and ran off with his pony. He has brought it
+here. Now I will tell you about Little Raven. He was very brave. He went
+with White Otter to the Blackfeet camp. He fought many Blackfeet. Now I
+will tell you about all these great warriors that you see standing here.
+They were very brave. Lean Wolf fought four Blackfeet warriors and
+killed all of them. Sitting Eagle ran off the ponies. Feather Dog did
+some great things. Running Dog found our enemies. All of these brave
+warriors fought hard to bring the ponies here. Now I have told you about
+it."
+
+"White Otter! White Otter!" shouted the Minneconjoux. "Come, White
+Otter, give us some words."
+
+The Ogalala received a stirring ovation. It was some time before he was
+able to speak.
+
+"My brothers, I have not many words to give you," he said, modestly. "I
+will tell you that Sun Bird is a great war leader. He told us what to
+do. I will tell you that the Minneconjoux are very brave. I will tell my
+people about them. I will tell you that the Dacotah ponies can run.
+Curly Horse gave me that great pony that I rode to the Blackfeet camp.
+It is very fast. That is how I caught Many Buffaloes. I believe Rain
+Crow must have had something to do with it. He is a great Medicine
+Person. I believe he helped me to do this thing. Now I will speak to
+your great chief Curly Horse. Curly Horse, I have tied that black pony
+in front of your lodge. It must stay there. You gave me a great pony to
+ride to the Blackfeet camp. I will keep it. Now I will give you that
+great Blackfeet pony. You must keep it. Rain Crow, you have called me
+your son. Well, my father, I have brought you a fast spotted pony. I
+took it from the Flatheads. Now I will not talk anymore."
+
+"White Otter, I see that you have a good heart," said Curly Horse. "I
+will listen to your words, I will keep that great war pony. I feel big
+to own that pony."
+
+When it grew dark the Minneconjoux lighted a great fire and assembled
+about it to celebrate the success of the war party. They spent the
+entire night dancing and singing and telling of the great exploits
+performed by the men who had gone to the Blackfeet camp.
+
+  THE END
+
+
+
+    +-----------------------------------------------+
+    |             Transcriber's Note:               |
+    |                                               |
+    | Inconsistent hyphenation and spelling in the  |
+    | original document have been preserved.        |
+    |                                               |
+    | Typographical errors corrected in the text:   |
+    |                                               |
+    |      TOC Runways changed to Runaways
+    | Page  27 murmered changed to murmured         |
+    | Page  33 murmered changed to murmured         |
+    | Page  59 susspense changed to suspense        |
+    | Page  96 unkown changed to unknown            |
+    | Page 164 Siting changed to Sitting            |
+    | Page 211 desperated changed to desperate      |
+    | Page 253 Wakantanka changed to Wakantunka     |
+    +-----------------------------------------------+
+
+
+
+
+
+End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The War Trail, by Elmer Russell Gregor
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