A few moments afterward the entire Crow war party galloped toward the cañon. As they came within arrow range, however, they dropped behind their ponies and raced past yelling fiercely.
"Save your arrows!" shouted Lean Wolf.
"Yes, yes, I see what they are trying to do," Sitting Eagle told him.
They realized at once that their wily foes were attempting to make them waste their arrows. When the Crows saw that the trick had failed, they immediately withdrew beyond arrow range. This time, however, they disappeared from sight over a rise of the plain. The Sioux looked at one another in surprise. The unexpected maneuver made them suspicious.
"They are trying to fool us," said Sitting Eagle.
"Yes, they are trying to make us come out so that they can catch us," declared Lean Wolf.
Then their suspicions were confirmed as they saw several warriors peeping over the crest of the rise. The Sioux laughed and jeered at them, and the Crows instantly withdrew from sight. They remained hidden for the rest of the day, but the Sioux had little doubt that sharp-eyed scouts were constantly watching the pass.
"If they do not come when it gets dark, we will know that they have gone away," said Sitting Eagle.
They watched in weary suspense as the long day finally drew to a close. The Crows, however, failed to appear. It seemed as if they really had abandoned the siege, and still the Sioux feared to believe it. Experience had taught them that the Crows were crafty and treacherous foes, and they feared that they were planning some clever ruse to gain admission to the cañon.
"We must keep watching," Lean Wolf said, suspiciously.