"What can this mean?" questioned James Morris.
"It means that the braves have flown, as fly the birds at the coming of winter," answered White Buffalo.
"Let us set a watch and make sure."
Barringford and Henry were called up, and all moved slowly from one outskirt of the village to another. Then they marched forward boldly, arousing several sleeping dogs, who began to bark loudly.
A cry went up from one of the squaws who had a pappoose in her arms, and at this half a dozen squaws and two old men showed themselves.
"Where is Mamuliekala, the Great Water Bear?" asked White Buffalo sternly.
"He has gone on a journey," answered one of the old men, his eyes shifting uneasily as he spoke.
"And where is the white prisoner who was here?"
The old man hesitated and looked for aid from the other aged Indian.
"There was no white prisoner here," said the second old Indian.