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.