"See, see, he has caught Many Buffaloes!" Sun Bird shouted, wildly.
The piebald had closed the gap, and was drawing abreast of the Blackfeet pony. Enraged by the glorious achievement of the Sioux pony, the Blackfeet raced forward to save their chief from defeat. At that moment, however, White Otter drew even with his foe. Yelling defiantly, Many Buffaloes swung his war club at the head of the Ogalala. White Otter crouched and barely escaped the deadly blow. Then before the Blackfeet chief could regain his balance the agile young Sioux swung his own weapon and knocked Many Buffaloes from his horse. The next moment he secured control of the famous black war pony. Turning the ponies in their tracks, he raced toward the ravine with the entire company of Blackfeet close behind him.
Leaving a few warriors in the ravine to guard the ponies, the Sioux galloped madly across the plain to rescue White Otter. Once he got the ponies under way, however, there was slight chance of the Blackfeet overtaking him. Stride by stride he drew away from his pursuers, who were too busily engaged lashing their ponies to think of shooting their arrows. When they finally did make use of their bows they found themselves already within range of the Minneconjoux. The latter shot their arrows with deadly effect, and the disheartened Blackfeet wavered before the attack. Then, as White Otter dashed among them, the Sioux flashed about and raced back to the ravine without losing a man.
"Well, my brothers, I have showed you that the Dacotah ponies can run," White Otter said, quietly as he dismounted in the midst of his enthusiastic tribesmen.
"White Otter, I believe the pony that Curly Horse gave you is a Medicine Pony," Sun Bird declared, seriously. "Perhaps that is why it was so fierce when you began to ride it. I believe my father had something to do with it. He is a great Medicine Person."
"It may be true," White Otter told him, as he stroked the neck of the little piebald.
"Yes, yes, Rain Crow must have had something to do with it," declared the superstitious Minneconjoux.