"Yes, Sun Bird must go ahead," cried the others.
"Well, I will ask Dancing Rabbit to ride with me; it will make old Spotted Face feel good to see him," Sun Bird told them. "Then White Otter must follow close behind me. He has done the biggest thing of all."
"It is good," cried the Minneconjoux.
They advanced slowly toward the camp. Sun Bird and Dancing Rabbit rode in front. White Otter followed, leading the famous black war pony, and Little Raven rode beside him. Then came Lean Wolf and Feather Dog and Sitting Eagle and Running Dog and all the famous scouts. Behind them followed the great herd of ponies, surrounded by the balance of the war party.
The Minneconjoux soon discovered the approaching horsemen and rushed from the camp in great excitement. As they recognized the riders and saw the great herd of ponies they were thrown into an ecstasy of joy. They gathered at the edge of the camp, singing and dancing and calling out the names of the warriors who had gone to fight the Blackfeet.
"See, see, the great war party is coming!" they cried. "They are bringing many ponies."
The war party raised their voices in the piercing Dacotah war cry. It echoed triumphantly across the plain and threw the camp into a tumult. Then the Minneconjoux suddenly recognized Dancing Rabbit. Men, women and children began to call his name.
"Our brothers have brought back Dancing Rabbit!" they shouted. "See, Dancing Rabbit has come back to us! Look, Spotted Face, your grandson is alive! He is coming to your lodge."
The aged warrior shaded his eyes with his hand and looked eagerly across the plain. He was trembling with anxiety. The Minneconjoux waited for him to speak.
"Yes, my friends, it is Dancing Rabbit," he said, finally. "Wakantunka, the Great Mystery, has sent him back to me. It is good."