When he finally succeeded in pulling the piebald to a canter, he found that he had completely lost Sun Bird, and the valiant little roan. He had also raced beyond sound of the buffalo herd. The piebald was breathing hard, but it showed no signs of exhaustion, and White Otter believed that its stamina was equal to its speed. Then, as he stopped to listen, he heard a signal some distance toward the east. He had heard the Minneconjoux turn in that direction as Sun Bird forced him into the last desperate sprint. It was evident, therefore, that having gained a sufficient lead upon the buffaloes, the Minneconjoux were circling back toward the camp site. He believed that the signal was from Sun Bird. To reassure him, White Otter replied with the bark of the little gray fox.
"Hi! the buffaloes are coming," he said, as he heard the distant rumble of their hoof beats.
Realizing that he was directly in their path, White Otter turned his pony toward the east, and rode off at a brisk canter. The buffalo herd was a long ways behind him, and he had little fear of being overtaken. There were other perils, however, which caused him more concern. He had heard Feather Dog tell of three mysterious riders to the eastward, and it was possible that they were scouts from a larger company. Therefore, White Otter determined to advance with caution. He believed that Sun Bird was close at hand, and his first thought was to find him. It was not long before he overtook him.
"Ho, my brother, that pony did not come back as fast as he went away," laughed Sun Bird.
"It is foolish to run when the race is finished," replied White Otter.
"That is the fastest horse I ever saw," Sun Bird declared, enthusiastically.
"Do you believe that this pony could catch that great horse of Many Buffaloes, the Blackfeet chief?" White Otter asked, eagerly.
"No," Sun Bird told him. "There is no Dacotah pony that can catch that horse."
White Otter was not so sure about it. He could not believe that any horse had greater speed than the piebald. He kept his opinion to himself, however, as he did not wish to appear boastful before his friend.
"Well, we got away from those buffaloes," said Sun Bird. "Now we must go back to the water place. We will find our friends there."