CHAPTER XIII
RACING TO THE RESCUE
AS White Otter and his companions raced through the night in advance of the war party, the troubled young Ogalala turned his eyes to the vast, star-lit heavens, and asked the Great Mystery to help his people. His mind was filled with all sorts of vague fears for the safety of the Ogalala camp, and he regretted that he was not there to share the peril with its gallant defenders. Then he suddenly realized that he might be able to render still greater aid in his present position, and he sought to comfort himself with the thought.
"My brother, I see that you feel bad in your heart," Sun Bird said soothingly.
"It is true; my heart is filled with clouds," replied White Otter. "I am thinking about my grandfather, the great chief Wolf Robe. I am thinking about my grandmother, the good Singing Wind. I am thinking about my friends. High Eagle has told me something bad. The Pawnees are on every side of the village. They are like the grass. It is bad. The Ogalalas are very brave, but many wolves can kill a bear. I do not know what has happened. Two suns have passed since High Eagle left that camp. We are riding fast, but another sun will pass before we come near that place. Perhaps my people have been wiped away. My brothers, I am thinking about these things. Yes, I feel bad in my heart."
White Otter's gloomy words were received in silence. His companions found nothing to say in reply. High Eagle felt quite as hopeless as his tribesman, and Sun Bird and Little Raven dared not fill the Ogalala's heart with false hopes. The four anxious scouts galloped along in silence, therefore, each hoping that his fears for the Ogalala camp would prove groundless. They rode thus until the first gray hint of daylight showed in the eastern sky, and then White Otter seemed to rally from his gloom.
"See, my brothers, the Great Mystery is wiping away the darkness," he said eagerly. "Pretty soon it will be gone. Then the sun will come. That makes me feel good again. Yes, I will wipe the clouds from my heart. I will be a warrior. See how the Great Mystery does this thing. I am thinking about it. When the darkness is gone, then everything is good. The birds sing. Yes, my brothers, it is a great thing to do. Well, I will wipe the darkness out of my heart. Then the sun will come there. It is good. I will sing my war songs. Yes, I will be strong to help my people. Ho, my brothers, we are Dacotahs! It is enough."
This unexpected display of cheerfulness had an instant effect upon his comrades. Stimulated by his fortitude, they, too, roused themselves from their depression and became light-hearted and hopeful. The dawn of a new day restored their confidence.
"White Otter, you have spoken brave words," said High Eagle. "Now I feel different in my heart. I believe our people will keep the Pawnees out of the camp. Pretty soon this great war party will come to that place. Then the Wolf People will run like rabbits."
As the light strengthened they saw that they had left the war party far behind, and they realized that they had ridden desperately. However, except for their rapid breathing and lathery sides, the wiry little ponies showed no effects of the strenuous pace, and their riders felt greatly relieved. They rode to the summit of a rocky knoll and dismounted to watch the plain.
It was not long before they saw the dust from the war party rising some distance away to the west. Shortly afterward the foremost riders galloped into view. They immediately discovered the four scouts and stopped to study them. Then Sun Bird mounted his pony and rode rapidly in a circle. Assured by the maneuver, the great company of Sioux warriors thundered across the plain to join their tribesmen.
When Curly Horse and Laughing Bird learned that the scouts had seen nothing to arouse suspicion, they led the war party to a distant grove of aspens, which High Eagle said marked a water-hole. White Otter and his companions accompanied them, but as soon as they had refreshed themselves and their ponies at the little pool they galloped away to reconnoiter in advance of the company.
The alert scouts proceeded with more caution as the day wore on, for although they knew that they were still a long distance from the besieged camp, they feared that the Pawnees might have sent riders far out on the plain to watch for reënforcements from the Minneconjoux camp.
"Perhaps the Wolf People know about this thing; we must keep watching ahead," declared White Otter.
"Yes, if they see us it will be a bad thing," replied Sun Bird. "Then they will tell their people, and they will get away before this great war party can catch them."
"I do not believe that the Pawnees know about this thing," High Eagle said hopefully. "No, I crawled away as easy as a snake. I do not believe that the Pawnees will know about this great war party until we come to fight them."
The day passed without incident, and at sunset they came in sight of the grove where White Otter had encountered the Ute war party. His heart beat fast with emotion as he saw the little patch of trees, and realized that he might reach the Ogalala village before daylight. All his anxiety returned at the thought, and once more he became a prey to all sorts of doubts and fears.
"My brothers, we are getting close to my people," he said soberly. "Over there is the place where I heard the Black Faces. It is not far from the Ogalala camp. Our ponies are fresh. Perhaps we will get to that place before another sun comes. But we must be very cautious. Perhaps some of the Wolf People are hiding over there among the trees. I will ask my brother, Sun Bird, and my brother, Little Raven, to wait here behind this ridge to watch for Curly Horse and his people. Come, High Eagle, we will go over there and see if anyone is hiding in that place."
"Well, I will wait here with Little Raven," agreed Sun Bird.
Then White Otter and High Eagle mounted their ponies and rode toward the timber. As they approached it they dropped to one side of their mounts and advanced very cautiously. They found the grove free of enemies, and immediately signaled the news to Little Raven, who was watching from the ridge. Soon afterward the Dacotah war party galloped across the plain. The two Ogalalas thrilled with pride as they watched the great force of Sioux fighting men approach. They felt certain that they would soon vanquish the Pawnees, and their only fear was that they might be too late. They realized that three days had passed since High Eagle had crawled safely through the Pawnee lines, and they feared that the battle had been won or lost in the meantime. The latter possibility filled them with dread, for they knew that defeat meant death for most of the people in the Ogalala camp.
"If our people have been wiped away, then I will go and let the Pawnees kill me," declared White Otter.
"Well, if you do that, then I will go with you," said High Eagle.
When the war party reached the grove, the warriors dismounted from their sweating ponies and threw themselves upon the ground for a few moments of rest. However, Curly Horse had no intention of loitering longer than was actually necessary for the tired ponies. He knew that every moment was precious in such an emergency, and he was eager to reach the scene of the conflict as soon as possible.
"My brothers, I must tell you that we are near the place where the brave Ogalalas are fighting the Pawnees," he told his warriors. "It is true that we have come a long way. But we must not stay here. No, if we wait here the Wolf People will get into that camp and kill many of our people. Our brothers are waiting for us. They are listening to hear the war cry of the great Dacotah nation. It will make them strong to fight. I believe that we are as many as the Pawnees. We will wait here a little time so that our ponies will be fresh. Then we will go on. I have spoken."
The Sioux remained at the water-hole until the ponies had recovered from their violent exertions, and then they mounted and galloped away toward the east. The thought that they were actually nearing the besieged camp made them eager and impatient to come within striking distance of their foes, and they raced on at a desperate pace. White Otter and his companions rode some distance in advance of the war party.
"Look!" cried Little Raven, as the four scouts raced over the summit of a low ridge.
They were dismayed to see two horsemen suddenly appear from a ravine directly ahead of them and ride furiously toward the east. They had little doubt that the unknown riders were Pawnee scouts who had been watching the advance of the Sioux war party. As they were too far away to be overtaken, there was nothing to do but report the discovery to Curly Horse.
"It is bad," said High Eagle. "Those scouts will tell their people about this great war party. Perhaps the Wolf People will rush into the camp before we get there."
"I will ride back and tell Curly Horse about this thing," cried Sun Bird.
"Yes, it is the best thing to do," replied White Otter. "We have found out something bad. But I will tell you that I believe my people have kept the Pawnees out of the camp. When I think about it my heart grows strong. If the Pawnees got into the village those scouts would not be watching in that ravine. I believe that the fight is still going on. Go, Sun Bird, my brother, and tell your great chief to come as fast as the wind. The Pawnees know about us. Now they will do some brave things to get into the village. We must help the brave Ogalalas. Now I am going ahead to do something."
A moment afterward the loyal lad raced away, with High Eagle and Little Raven beside him, while Sun Bird wheeled his pony and galloped back to meet Curly Horse and the great company of Sioux fighting men.
