A THRILLING RESCUE
Having crossed safely over the ridge where they believed the Kiowa
scouts were watching, the Sioux rode desperately to reach the ravine
before daylight. There was not a moment to spare. Dawn was flushing
the eastern sky when they finally encountered the first Cheyenne
scout. They stopped, and White Otter imitated the bark of To-ko-la,
the little gray fox.
"You have come back--it is good," cried Painted Weasel.
"Yes, it is good," White Otter told him.
They ran the ponies toward the ravine. The Cheyennes were overjoyed at
their safe return. They gathered eagerly about them to learn if they
had reached the Kiowa camp.
"Cheyennes, Red Dog is alive," White Otter told them. "We saw him in
the Kiowa camp."
"It is good, it is good," cried Running Crow. "My brothers, you have
done a big thing."
The Cheyennes were beside themselves with excitement. Their gloom
vanished. Their hearts filled with hope. Having learned that their
chief was alive, their one thought was to rescue him. They realized,
however, that it would be foolhardy to make the attempt before night.
The thought suddenly sobered them. The delay suggested alarming
possibilities. They began to have doubts.
"Perhaps the Kiowas will kill Red Dog before the night comes," they
told one another.
Aroused by the thought, some of the warriors made reckless proposals
to attack the camp at once. The majority, however, talked against it.
"We must wait," Running Crow told them. "If we let the Kiowas see us,
they will kill Red Dog before we can help him. I do not believe
anything will happen to him before the night comes. Come, White Otter,
you are the leader, tell us how you feel about it."
"My brothers, we must wait," declared White Otter. "I do not believe
the Kiowas will kill Red Dog before the night comes. I will tell you
how I feel about it. I believe the Kiowas are getting ready for a big
talk. They will tell their people about the great fight. They will
dance and sing the war songs. Then Red Dog will be in danger. I
believe they will bring him out to kill him. I do not believe they
will do anything until it gets dark. Then we will be close to the
camp. We will rush in and carry away your chief. Pretty soon I will
tell you how I propose to do it. You must wait until I tell you about
it. If you do anything foolish, Red Dog will surely die.
"Now I will tell you something different. My brothers, we found the
ponies. The war ponies are in the Kiowa camp. The other ponies are
outside with the Kiowa ponies. We will run off the ponies when we
carry away Red Dog. This will be a big fight. I know that all of you
are brave enough to go through with it. You must also be sharp. We
must fool the Kiowas. Then they will not kill Red Dog before we get
into the camp. I believe some scouts are still watching over there on
that long hill. I believe they will go away before it gets dark. We
must keep hiding in this place until they go away. Now I have told you
what I have to say about it."
His words made a favorable impression upon the Cheyennes. They were
convinced that his plan offered the only hope of saving Red Dog. They
were eager to learn how he proposed to overcome the Kiowa camp without
sacrificing the life of the Cheyenne chief. White Otter showed no
inclination to tell them.
"My brothers, White Otter is a great chief," said Running Crow. "A
great chief does not tell what he is about to do. You must wait until
it is time to go ahead with this thing. Then White Otter will tell us
about it."
Day had dawned, and the sun was appearing above the plain. Most of the
Cheyennes crept to the top of the ravine to watch for signs of the
Kiowas. They wondered if scouts were still watching on the distant
ridge. There was no way of learning.
The day was well advanced when the Cheyennes discovered a band of
animals on the summit of the ridge. They studied them with eager
attention. The distance made it difficult to identify them. Some
thought they were ponies. White Otter and Sun Bird disagreed with
them.
"He-ha-ka, elk," said the Sioux.
"Yes, yes, it is true," agreed Running Crow.
The animals were moving slowly along the ridge. Their appearance
convinced the Cheyennes that the ridge was free of foes. They believed
that the Kiowa scouts had returned to the village.
"The way is clear--it is good," said Running Crow.
"Perhaps they are watching close to the camp," White Otter told him.
Then he called Sun Bird and Little Raven into the ravine.
"My brothers, I have some words for you," he said. "Pretty soon the
day will pass away. I have been watching for our people. Now I do not
believe they will come in time to help us. Perhaps the Cheyennes took
a long time to go to our camp. Well, we cannot wait. We must go ahead
with what we came to do. Red Dog is our friend. We must try to help
him. I am about to do a big thing. I will ask you to help me. There
will be great danger. Perhaps we will be killed. You are Dacotahs. You
are brave. I know you are not afraid to die."
"White Otter, I will go with you," said Sun Bird.
"Yes, my brother, I will go," Little Raven told him.
"It is good," declared White Otter. "Now I will tell the Cheyennes
about it."
He asked Running Crow to summon his tribesmen. They hurried into the
ravine, and assembled before the Ogalala.
"My brothers, I have called you here to tell you what I propose to
do," said White Otter. "The day has almost gone. Night is close by. We
must get ready.
"Listen to my words. When we go to fight the Kiowas it would be
foolish for all of us to go together. If we do that, the scouts will
find out about it and tell their people. Then Red Dog will be killed
before we get to the camp. There is only one way to do this thing. We
must make three war parties. Now I will tell you about it. I am going
to make Running Crow a leader. He must take some warriors and go away
first. Running Crow and his brothers must circle far around and come
up on the other side of the camp. I am going to make Standing Bull a
leader. He must take some warriors and go away next. Standing Bull and
his brothers must circle around and come up on the side where the
ponies are. I am going to make Painted Weasel a leader. He must take
some warriors and go away last. Painted Weasel and his brothers must
ride straight ahead to the camp. All of you must send scouts ahead to
watch for the Kiowas. You must watch sharp. If you let them find you
we cannot help Red Dog. When you all get close enough to shoot an
arrow into the camp, you must wait. When Painted Weasel is ready he
must make the cry of Ma-ya-sh, the wolf. Then Painted Weasel and
Standing Bull must lead their brothers ahead. You must make a big
noise. Standing Bull and his brothers must run off the ponies. Painted
Weasel and his brothers must go to the camp.
"Now, Running Crow, listen sharp. When you hear that noise you must
bring your brothers to the other side of the camp. Do not make any
noise until you are close. Then rush ahead.
"While you are all doing these things, Sun Bird and Little Raven will
go with me into the camp. We will try to save Red Dog and lead away
the war ponies. You must come fast, my brothers, or the Kiowas will
kill us. Each of you must do as I have told you to do. Now, my
brothers, I will ask you how you feel about it.
"White Otter, you have given us great words," declared Running Crow.
"I believe you have told us how to fool the Kiowas. You have asked me
to be a leader. It is good. I will keep your words. Yes, my brother, I
will do as you have told me to do."
"It is good," said White Otter.
"My brother, you are a great war leader," said Painted Weasel. "If we
do as you tell us to do, I believe we will save Red Dog and run off
many ponies. I will keep your words. I will lead my brothers close up
to the camp. We will make a big fight. We will try hard to help you."
"It is good," White Otter told him.
"Great chief of the Ogalalas, I have listened to your words," said
Standing Bull. "They are good. I believe it is the only way to do this
thing. I will keep your words. I will lead my brothers to run off the
ponies."
"It is good," said White Otter. "Well, my brothers, I see that you all
feel good about this thing. It makes me feel big."
Having learned the plan of attack, the Cheyennes looked forward to the
fight with enthusiasm. They crept up the ravine and watched
impatiently for the day to pass. They glared fiercely into the east,
and murmured boastful threats against the hated foes in the distant
camp.
"Hi, hi, pretty soon we will show the Kiowas how to fight," they
cried, savagely.
When the purple evening shadows finally settled upon the plain, the
war leaders called the warriors into the ravine, and began to select
the men who were to accompany them. The Cheyennes watched with intense
interest as Running Crow and Painted Weasel and Standing Bull went
about making their selections. All were famous warriors who commanded
the respect and admiration of their tribesmen, and the latter had
little preference between them. Then White Otter suddenly called
Running Crow.
"Running Crow, I believe Painted Weasel and his brothers will have the
biggest fight," he said. "The Kiowas will run out that way when they
hear the noise. Painted Weasel must take the most warriors. You will
also have a big fight, because you must rush into the camp. You must
take many warriors. Standing Bull will run off the ponies. I do not
believe he will get into the fight. Standing Bull must not take so
many warriors."
"It is true," agreed Running Crow. "I have told my brothers about it.
Painted Weasel is calling the most warriors. Standing Bull has called
only a few."
"It is good," said White Otter.
When the selections had finally been made, each war leader made a
short, fiery address to his warriors. Their words roused the fighting
spirit of the Cheyennes. They made it plain that they hoped to wipe
out the sting of their recent defeat and take full vengeance upon the
Kiowas.
"My people are very mad," Running Crow told White Otter. "They will
make a big fight."
Darkness had already fallen, and White Otter determined to reconnoiter
the plain before the first war party left the ravine. He sent White
Horse and Red Crane and Fighting Wolf and Sitting Bear to look for the
Kiowas. White Horse and Red Crane advanced toward the distant ridge.
Sitting Bear circled toward the north. Fighting Wolf rode toward the
south. The Cheyennes waited anxiously for them to return. Sitting Bear
came first. He said he had ridden far out over the plain but had heard
or seen nothing of their foes. Then Fighting Wolf rode in. He, too,
declared that he had failed to find the Kiowas. It was a long time
before White Horse and Red Crane arrived. They said they had searched
carefully along the ridge, but had failed to locate their enemies.
"It is good," said White Otter. "Now we are ready to go ahead. Come,
Running Crow, call your warriors."
When Running Crow and his companions were ready to depart, White Otter
addressed them.
"My brothers, you are going into great danger," he warned them.
"Perhaps you will have a hard fight. Running Crow is a good war
leader. He will take you into the Kiowa camp. Then you must try to
save your chief. When you get away come here and wait for your
brothers. Do what I have told you to do. Do not try to do anything
different. Go, my brothers, Red Dog is waiting for you."
"White Otter, we will keep your words," Running Crow told him. "When
we hear that great noise we will rush ahead."
"It is good," said White Otter.
They rode silently from the ravine, and cantered away toward the
south. White Otter listened soberly as the hoofbeats of the ponies
gradually died away. He knew that they were staking their lives on his
ability as a war leader. He realized his responsibility. Failure meant
death for Red Dog, disaster for the Cheyennes, and disgrace for him.
He drove the thought from his mind.
"I will do this thing," he murmured, fiercely.
Standing Bull and his warriors were impatient, and eager to depart.
White Otter held them back. He waited until he believed that Running
Crow and his companions were well on their way before he finally sent
away the second war party.
"Standing Bull, you must run off the ponies," said White Otter. "There
are only a few of you. Do not try to get into the fight. Keep the
ponies going. Make a big noise."
"I will do as you tell me," replied Standing Bull.
After they had gone, White Otter called Painted Weasel.
"Painted Weasel, you are a brave scout and a good war leader," White
Otter told him. "I have seen you fight the Pawnees. I have seen you
fight the Kiowas. I know you are brave. That is why I made you the
leader of this war party. You will have the hardest fight of all. You
must follow us to the Kiowa camp. You must wait close by until we have
time to get into the camp. Then you must give the cry of Ma-ya-sh, the
wolf, and rush ahead. Make a great noise. Try to frighten the Kiowas.
Perhaps you will find us at the edge of the camp. Perhaps the Kiowas
will hold us in the village. You must try to help us carry off Red
Dog."
"White Otter, you are my friend," replied Painted Weasel. "I have
seen you do some big things. All of these warriors know about you.
They will be very brave because you are here. I will keep your words.
We will fight hard to get Red Dog out of the camp."
"It is good," said White Otter. "Come, my brothers, we will go."
They mounted the ponies and rode from the ravine. Then they cantered
slowly across the plain. White Otter and Painted Weasel rode in front.
Sun Bird and Little Raven followed close behind them. Then came the
gallant Cheyenne fighting men. They rode along in grim silence. When
they had crossed the second ridge, White Otter stopped them.
"Now, my brothers, we must leave you and go ahead," he told Painted
Weasel. "Hold back until we have time to reach the camp. Then go
ahead. Be cautious. Now send some one with us to hold the ponies."
Two young Cheyennes rode forward to join the Sioux. Then White Otter
led his little company toward the Kiowa camp. They soon saw the
camp-fires flickering between the trees. When they drew nearer they
suddenly heard sounds which aroused their fears. The Kiowas were
shouting and beating the war drums. White Otter listened uneasily.
"It is bad," he said. "The Kiowas are dancing and singing the war
songs. Red Dog is in danger. There is little time."
They rode faster. When they finally came within bowshot of the camp,
White Otter stopped and dismounted. Sun Bird and Little Raven also
dismounted. Then they left their ponies with the Cheyennes, and
hurried away. They kept farther to the southward than they had gone
the previous night, for White Otter was anxious to conceal himself
nearer the center of the village.
"Now, my brothers, I will tell you what to do," he said, softly. "When
we get to the edge of the camp, we will look for Red Dog. Then we will
look for the war ponies. I will ask Sun Bird to go with me to help Red
Dog. I will ask Little Raven to creep into the camp and lead out the
ponies. Now we will go ahead."
The plain was shrouded in darkness, and they crept to the border of
the camp without being discovered. Then they looked upon their foes.
The Kiowas were seated about a great fire in the center of the
village. They had ceased dancing, and were listening to a warrior who
appeared to be relating some thrilling experience. The Sioux felt
sure that he was describing the battle at the Cheyenne camp. They took
little interest in him, for their one thought was to discover Red Dog.
He was not in sight. They felt relieved. They were within a few bow
lengths of the lodge into which he had been taken the previous night.
In the meantime, Little Raven had discovered the Dacotah ponies. They
were tied before a lodge, a short distance on his left. He touched
White Otter and pointed toward them. White Otter nodded
understandingly. Little Raven crawled away into the darkness.
A moment afterward the Kiowa finished his boastful tale, and received
a noisy ovation from his people. The Sioux smiled. Then another
warrior rushed into the circle and drove his tomahawk into a painted
post near the fire. The Sioux were familiar with the ceremony. They
knew that the Kiowa claimed a coup for some daring feat which he had
performed in the fight with the Cheyennes, and was about to tell his
tribesmen of his valor. As the speaker drew the attention of the
Kiowas, White Otter seized the opportunity to creep closer to the
lodge in which he hoped to find Red Dog. When he was within a bow
length of it, he stopped and placed his lips to the ear of Sun Bird.
"I believe Red Dog is in this lodge," he whispered. "I am going to
creep up behind it. Follow me."
They crawled cautiously forward until they were at the rear of the
lodge. Then White Otter placed his ear at the bottom of the lodge
cover, and held his breath to listen. All was still. He signaled to
Sun Bird. He, too, lay close to the ground and listened. In a few
moments he shook his head. He had heard nothing. They believed that
Red Dog was alone in the lodge. The thought filled them with joy. The
warrior was still telling his boastful tale. The Kiowas were silent.
The Sioux believed their opportunity was at hand. They drew their
knives and began to cut the lodge cover from the stakes which held it
to the ground. Then they were suddenly interrupted by the shrill
neighing of a pony somewhere at the other end of the camp. The warrior
ceased speaking. The Kiowas cried out excitedly. The Sioux turned to
each other in dismay.
"Run around the other side of the lodge!" cried White Otter.
They separated and circled the lodge. Two warriors were coming out
with Red Dog between them. The Sioux shot their arrows, and the Kiowas
fell. Before the people in the camp realized what had happened, White
Otter had reached the Cheyenne chief and freed his arms. Then he drew
him toward the edge of the camp. The Kiowas rushed forward. Sun Bird
fought desperately to hold them back.
Then the cry of Ma-ya-sh sounded from the plain. The Kiowas stopped in
alarm. A moment afterward the night rang with a wild din that filled
their hearts with terror. They heard their foes advancing on three
sides of the camp. For an instant they crowded together in panic. Then
the warriors ran for the ponies. They heard them thundering across the
plain. They saw a dim, shadowy form dash into the camp and disappear
with the Sioux war ponies. Then they heard the Cheyennes yelling at
the edge of the village. The Kiowas rushed forward to drive them out.
At that instant another company of horsemen entered from the opposite
side of the camp. The Kiowas became demoralized and fled wildly before
their foes. The Cheyennes swept into the camp.
"Come, my brothers, here are the ponies," cried Little Raven, as he
joined his comrades at the border of the village.
The three warriors who had waited with the ponies had already come
forward. Red Dog mounted and raced away to lead his warriors. The
Sioux followed close behind him. The Kiowas had abandoned the camp,
and were fleeing across the plain. The Cheyenne victory was complete.
They had overcome their foes without losing a man.