"Ho, my brother Sun Bird," White Otter replied, joyfully, as he recognized the voice of his friend.
Then Sun Bird and his brother Little Raven rode forward to meet him. The three young warriors had shared many perilous adventures, and they greeted one another with boyish enthusiasm. Then Sun Bird repeated the call of the little gray fox three times in quick succession, and fifteen grim Minneconjoux warriors came to join them.
"Lean Wolf told us about this thing," Sun Bird explained. "Come, Lean Wolf, here is White Otter, tell him about it."
"Ho, my brother," said Lean Wolf, as he rode up beside White Otter.
"Ho, my brother Lean Wolf," White Otter replied, heartily.
"When I was riding back to my people I saw some Pawnee hunters," explained Lean Wolf. "They saw me, but I was a long ways off. They did not come after me. I told my people about it. Sun Bird said, 'It is bad. Those Pawnees may kill White Otter. Perhaps we can help him. Come, my friends, who will go with me to find White Otter?' That is how we came here."
"It is good," said White Otter. "The brave Minneconjoux are my brothers. I believe when the Pawnees heard your ponies they ran away. But see, my friends, I am riding one of their ponies. It is very fast. I will tell you how I come to have it."
The Minneconjoux listened with great interest while White Otter told of his adventure with the Pawnees. When he finished speaking there were many exclamations of approval from the stern warriors who had gathered about him.
"White Otter, you have done a good thing," declared Sun Bird. "See, it is getting light. Come, we will go and tell our people how you fooled the boastful Pawnees."
They turned their ponies toward the west, and rode away singing boastfully of White Otter's triumph over the Pawnees.