Two days later the lads reached the Delaware village. Their sudden appearance caused a great commotion. “Running Fox has come! Running Fox has come!” cried the Delawares. The news brought a great crowd to the edge of the water. The enthusiasm was intense. Many of the younger warriors waded out, and dragged the canoe to the shore. Then Running Fox held up the sacred medicine-trophy, and the people went into ecstasies of joy. “See, Running Fox has brought the scalp of Gokhos, the mysterious white Medicine Owl,” they cried, excitedly.
As soon as the exhausted young warriors stepped from the canoe they were surrounded by a great throng of friends who instantly began to ply them with questions. Running Fox left Spotted Deer to struggle with them, while he hurried away to find his father.
Black Panther showed little surprise as his son entered the lodge, and offered him the famous trophy for which he had risked his life. However, the lad’s mother flung herself upon him, and wept for joy. When he had tenderly freed himself from her arms, Running Fox turned toward the stern Delaware war-chief. The latter showed his pride and his joy in his eyes, and the young warrior was satisfied.
“My son, you have come back,” said Black Panther. “It is good. I see that you have brought the scalp of Gokhos, the Medicine Owl. Where did you find it!”
“I found it in the sacred Medicine Bundle, which hangs in the Medicine Lodge of our enemies, the Mohawks. I believe it is the thing that gave Standing Wolf his power over us. Yes, I saw him talking to the Medicine Spirits with this thing in his hands.”
“Well, my son, you have done a great thing,” declared Black Panther, striving hard to conceal his emotion. “You are only a boy, but you have done more than the bravest warrior. But you must not think about that. No, you must find out how to get those mysterious powers, so that you can help your people, and become a great chief. Take this thing to Sky Dog, and ask him what to do.”
“Yes, I will go, but first I must warn you that a great war-party of Mohawks are coming to fight us,” said Running Fox.
“How do you know that?” Black Panther asked, sharply.
“The scouts followed us a long ways down the river, and the Mohawks are very mad. I believe Standing Wolf will bring a great war-party here to try to get back this mysterious Medicine Thing.”
The warning seemed to make a strong impression upon Black Panther. He immediately summoned a picked company of scouts, and sent them away to watch for the Mohawks. Then he called a council of the principal war-leaders to form plans for defending the village. It was evident that the possibility of Standing Wolf leading his great war-party against the camp filled even Black Panther with considerable uneasiness.