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.