Running Fox listened in silence. He suddenly realized the difficulty of his task. If the camp was surrounded by a log stockade, he knew it would be impossible to see anything of Spotted Deer without entering the village. He had little hope of being able to accomplish that perilous feat. He knew that even if he should succeed in getting into the camp, it might be impossible to locate and reach Spotted Deer. For the moment he lost confidence. Then he suddenly realized that Spotted Deer had relied on him. The clews which he had left along the way took on a new significance. Running Fox accepted them as mute appeals for aid from the friend who more than once had risked death to help him. The thought stirred him. He determined to sacrifice his life if necessary in an attempt to free Spotted Deer.
"Getanittowit will help me," he murmured.
"It will be hard to get down to that place," Painted Hawk said, suddenly.
"There is a trail that goes down there, but it is very steep," Yellow Wolf told him. "A long time ago I was with some scouts, and we came over here and found out about this place."
"It would be foolish to follow that trail," Running Fox told them. "Perhaps the Shawnees are watching."
"Well, Running Fox, you are the leader, tell us what you propose to do," said Painted Hawk.
"I am going to ask Yellow Wolf and Dancing Owl to go down there with me," said Running Fox. "I am going to ask the rest of you to wait up here. I cannot tell you what we are going to do. I do not know how to get into that camp. I do not know how to find out about Spotted Deer. I am going down there to look around. If we do not come back before it gets light you will know that something bad has happened to us. If you hear the call of Gokhos three times, you must come to us. If you do not hear it, then you must wait until it gets light."
"We will keep your words," Painted Hawk told him. "If the Shawnees catch you, one of us will go and tell our people. Two will keep watching. Then we will bring a big war party to get you."
"It is good," said Running Fox. "Come, my friends, we will go."
A moment afterward the three daring scouts disappeared into the night. Their departure filled their friends with doubts. They knew the peril to which Running Fox and his companions were exposing themselves, and they had grave fears for their safety.