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."