"Well, I will tell you what is the best thing to do," replied Sun Bird.

"I will ask you, my brothers, to wait here until I creep up to the camp and find out about this thing."

White Otter and Little Raven instantly objected. They demanded to be allowed to share his peril. Sitting Eagle, however, agreed with Sun Bird. Many thrilling experiences on the war-trail had made the older warrior indifferent not only to danger for himself, but also for others.

He knew that it was the duty of a war leader to a.s.sume the most perilous roles of the undertaking. Sitting Eagle himself had often placed his life in jeopardy while acting in that capacity, and he saw no reason to ask Sun Bird to alter his decision.

"My young brothers, Sun Bird has spoken like a Sioux warrior. He is going to find out about those people. It is good. A war leader must do these things alone. We will wait here until he knows about this thing. I am telling you this because it is the best thing to do. I am not afraid to go to that camp alone. If my brother Sun Bird tells me to do that then I will go. It would be bad for more than one to do this thing. A war leader must do as he finds it in his heart. I have finished," said Sitting Eagle.

"White Otter, you have heard the words of a great Minneconjoux warrior.

Little Raven, you must keep those words in your heart," declared Sun Bird. "It is enough. Now I am going to know about this thing."

"Well, I believe that you are doing a good thing," replied White Otter.

"Yes, what Sitting Eagle says is true. I am not afraid to go into that camp alone. But I will wait here until you come back."

After Sun Bird had gone his companions waited in much suspense, ready and eager to rush to his a.s.sistance at the first hint of danger.

However, as the time pa.s.sed and they heard nothing to rouse their suspicions they believed that their comrade had approached the camp in safety. One of the fires had already disappeared, and the glow from the remaining one was growing fainter each moment. The watchers had hopes that the Utes were already slumbering.

"Listen!" cautioned White Otter. "Someone is coming."

A moment afterward Sun Bird rejoined them.

"My brothers, I will tell you that the Black Faces are sleeping. Come, we will go into the camp and lead out the ponies," said the resolute young war leader.

They followed him across the silent black plain until they were within bow-shot of the trees, and then they stopped to listen. The stillness was unbroken, and except for a few glowing embers from the smoldering fires the camp was smothered in blackness. Led by Sun Bird, the little company of scouts moved stealthily through the dark. The lodges were well separated, and the Sioux made their way between them with little likelihood of being heard. Once in the camp, they drew their knives and hurried toward the ponies. It took only a few moments for each daring intruder to sever the picket ropes of three ponies and lead them cautiously from the camp. White Otter led out the horse he had originally presented to Sun Bird. When they reached the plain they decided that one should remain with the captured ponies, while the others again ventured into the camp.

"My brother, Little Raven, you have done a brave thing. You have led ponies out of this camp. But you are the youngest. Yes, I will ask you to wait here with the horses. If you hear the long cry of the big gray wolf, ride away as fast as you can," said Sun Bird.

"I would like to go into that camp again, and lead out some more ponies," replied Little Raven. "But I will listen to your words."

Then his companions left him, and returned to the camp. Once again Sun Bird led the way, and White Otter and Sitting Eagle followed close behind him. They were pa.s.sing noiselessly between two lodges when a pony whinnied shrilly, and the next moment several of the horses on the plain answered. Instantly the camp was in a commotion. Taking advantage of the first confusion, the three Sioux rushed to the horses and began to cut the picket ropes. They secured six ponies before the Utes realized what was happening. Then as the Sioux attempted to ride from the camp they found themselves surrounded by foes.

"Remember that we are Dacotahs!" cried Sun Bird, as he rode into the midst of his enemies.

White Otter rode close beside him and a bow-length back followed Sitting Eagle. Crouching low over their ponies' flanks, the determined Sioux knocked down all who attempted to bar their way, and escaped from the camp unhurt. Then they raced to Little Raven, who was waiting where they had left him.

"Come, we have escaped, but the Black Faces are close behind us!" cried Sun Bird.

Dividing the captured ponies between them, they raced across the plain to join their comrades. As they rode they raised their voices in the ringing war cry of their nation, and the war party echoed the cry and rushed to meet them.

Realizing that the Sioux had followed and surprised them, the Utes were in a frenzy of rage. Mounting the ponies which were still in the camp, the riders raced away in pursuit of their foes, while other warriors rushed wildly about the plain attempting to round up the horses that had been turned loose to graze. However, when they heard the Sioux war cry ringing through the night they became alarmed. They began to fear that the camp had been surrounded by a large Sioux war party, and the thought made them cautious. Besides, the women and children were in a state of panic, and the bewildered Utes realized that in the event of a sudden attack it would be difficult to keep them under control. As fast as the unmounted warriors secured ponies, therefore, they rode madly about the camp, yelling and singing their war songs to intimidate any of their foes who might be lurking in the vicinity.

In the meantime the triumphant Sioux were racing across the plain with the captured ponies. They had turned abruptly toward the west and were riding in silence in the hope of throwing their pursuers from the trail. However, having successfully run off the horses they believed there was little to fear. They knew that the main company of Utes would be delayed some time in procuring mounts, and they felt themselves more than a match for the small company who were pursuing them. In fact several of the younger warriors were eager to turn about and engage the Utes in battle.

"No, that would be foolish," Sun Bird declared, when they suggested the plan. "We have done a good thing. We are taking back more ponies than the Black Faces ran off. Those people did not kill any of us. It is good. We will ride into our village singing. It would be bad to have our friends killed. Yes, the old men would say, 'Sun Bird is a foolish war leader; he takes ponies but he loses his friends.' No, my brothers, we have done what we set out to do. Now we will go to our people and tell them about it."

His words found instant favor with the majority of the war party. Having accomplished the object of their perilous expedition, they were eager to regain their village without loss. They saw no wisdom in waiting to risk themselves in a skirmish which could add nothing to the glory of their exploit.

"Does the wolf come back to fight after it has taken the young buffalo?"

demanded Sitting Eagle. "No, that would be foolish. Sun Bird has done a brave thing. A good war leader does not exchange warriors for ponies. We have a long way to go. Perhaps we will meet enemies. We must keep ourselves strong. I have finished."

CHAPTER V

A SURPRISE

The Sioux rode until dawn, and then they took shelter in a dense stand of willows on the bank of a shallow stream. They knew that they were far west of the Ute camp, and as they believed that they had eluded their pursuers they determined to stop and rest the ponies until dark. Then as a precaution against attack they sent scouts to the ridges to watch the plain.

The day was more than half gone when a young warrior named Short Bear brought word of a large company of hors.e.m.e.n approaching from the east.

He said that they were a long distance off, and were riding slowly.

Nevertheless the announcement caused great excitement.

"It is the Black Faces!" cried several of the war party.

"No, I believe they are different people," declared Sun Bird. "Does a war party ride easy on the trail of an enemy? See, the ground is hard.

You all have sharp eyes, but do you see any tracks? No, the ground tells you nothing. The wolf can follow a trail with his nose, but a warrior must use his eyes. Are the Black Faces like the wolf? No, I do not believe they can follow us. But perhaps we will meet other enemies in this place. Yes, we must know about this thing."

Short Bear and a companion were sent back to watch the unknown hors.e.m.e.n, and White Otter and Little Raven galloped away to find and warn the Sioux scouts. Then Sun Bird advised his followers to remain in the timber until they learned something about the plans of the strangers. He said that the latter might pa.s.s at a safe distance, and that it would be folly to venture upon the open plain until they knew that there was no other alternative.

"Yes, we must wait here until Short Bear comes back," said Sitting Eagle.

A short time afterward the scout returned. He declared that the hors.e.m.e.n had altered their course and were riding farther toward the north.

Short Bear said that he did not believe the travelers would even come within sight of the Sioux hiding place. Therefore, as the day would soon be over, he advised his friends to remain where they were until darkness made it safe to resume their journey across the plain.

"Do you know about those people?" inquired Sun Bird.

Short Bear said that although he and Lean Wolf, his companion, had crawled as near as they dared on the open plain they were unable to approach sufficiently close to identify the riders. However, they felt quite sure that they were not Utes. Lean Wolf, who had remained behind to watch, believed that the hors.e.m.e.n were p.a.w.nees, but Short Bear did not agree with him.

"No, my heart tells me something different. I believe those people are Kiowas," he told Sun Bird.

"Well, we must know about it, my brother," replied Sun Bird. "I will ask you to follow those people until they camp. Then you must come back and tell us about it."

Short Bear was scarcely out of sight when another scout rode in from the north. He, too, had discovered the hors.e.m.e.n. He had also seen Lean Wolf following cautiously on their trail, and after making sure that the scout was one of his own people he had set out to warn his companions.

This warrior had seen nothing of White Otter and Little Raven. While he was talking, however, those very riders returned. They said that they had found and warned the two remaining scouts.

"It is good," said Sun Bird. "Now we will wait here until we know where those people have stopped."

Just before dark the other scouts arrived, but Short Bear and Lean Wolf had not yet returned. The riders who had been watching to the south and west of the camp said that they had seen nothing but antelope and prairie wolves. Therefore, the Sioux waited in considerable suspense to hear what Short Bear and his companion had learned about the travelers.

Night had already fallen when the two scouts finally returned. They said that they had followed the riders until sunset, when they stopped and made camp at a water-hole some distance to the north. Waiting until it was dark, Short Bear left his pony with Lean Wolf, and approached sufficiently near to identify the hors.e.m.e.n as Kiowas. He learned furthermore that they were armed and painted for war.

"It is bad," declared Sitting Eagle. "Perhaps those people are going to steal Sioux ponies. We must hurry away from here, and go back to our village."

"Yes, that is the best thing to do," agreed Feather Dog. "The Kiowas are our enemies. If they are traveling toward our village we must get ahead of them and warn our people."

"What you say is true," declared Sun Bird. "I will tell you what it is in my mind to do. I will ask my brother Sitting Eagle, and my brother Lean Wolf to ride ahead and tell our people about this thing. We will follow with the horses."