Then they again saw Huya, the war bird. The eagle was soaring high up near the snowclad peaks. The Sioux watched it with superstitious premonitions. They believed it was an omen—a warning that foes were near at hand.
"See, Huya has come back to tell us about our enemies," said Sun Bird. "I believe we are near the Blackfeet. We must watch out."
Disturbed by the appearance of Huya, the war bird, and determined to run no risk of betraying themselves to their foes, the Sioux decided to seek shelter in the foothills while scouts climbed the ridges to look for the Blackfeet camp. While the war party moved cautiously along the edge of the plain, Sun Bird sent scouts into the timber to look for a suitable camp site. At the end of the day they found a sheltered grassy park high up near the summit of the ridge, and the Sioux determined to make it their rendezvous until they were ready to advance upon the Blackfeet.
The following day, at dawn, Sun Bird and White Otter left the war party and set out along the summit of the ridge to look for traces of the Blackfeet camp. Other scouts rode cautiously along the edge of the plain to watch for signs of the Crows or scouting parties of Blackfeet.
Although Sun Bird and White Otter had a splendid view of the plain they failed to discover any evidence of the Blackfeet camp. When they finally saw a large herd of buffaloes grazing contentedly a considerable distance to the northward, they became convinced that the hostile camp was far beyond their view.
"It is useless to look any more," declared White Otter. "The Blackfeet camp is a long ways off."
"Yes, it must be so," said Sun Bird. "We will go back and tell our friends about it."
"Wait," White Otter cried, eagerly. "Here is the trail of great Matohota."
Sun Bird hastened to his side and saw the fresh tracks of a grizzly bear. The trail led down into the timber. The footprints were of unusual size, and the Sioux studied them with flashing eyes. The Dacotahs considered killing great Matohota an exploit worthy of the bravest warrior, and only second in importance to killing an enemy. A necklace of bear claws was accepted as positive proof of the hunting ability and courage of the wearer. Although both Sun Bird and White Otter had killed several of those fierce beasts, they became enthusiastic at the idea of securing the great claws of the bear which had recently passed.
"If we kill Matohota we will have something to show our friends," said White Otter.