They watched until the day was well advanced, and then they crept carefully over the top of the ledge and descended to the summit of the ridge. They found Dancing Rabbit waiting for them.
"Well, my brother, have you brought our friends here?" inquired Sun Bird.
"They are hiding down there in the timber," replied Dancing Rabbit.
"Come, we will go to them," said Sun Bird.
CHAPTER XV
A PERILOUS RECONNAISSANCE
They found the war party camped in a secluded ravine which led far back into the foothills. Having ridden throughout the night, most of the Minneconjoux were sleeping when Sun Bird and White Otter arrived at the rendezvous. The spot was strongly guarded by sentinels, however, who took turns at keeping watch. Sun Bird and White Otter immediately asked for water, and Dancing Rabbit led them to a splendid spring on the side of the ravine. Then they supplied themselves with generous rations of dried meat and ate heartily. In the meantime their arrival had awakened most of the war party, and they gathered about the famous young scouts and waited anxiously for them to speak.
"Well, my friends, I have something good to tell you," Sun Bird said, at last. "We saw the Blackfeet camp. It is close by. There are many lodges. There must be many people to live in them. We saw many ponies. Some belong to our people. We have come to take them away. We will take them. Then we saw the fast ponies. They are near the lodges. We will try to take some of those. But, my friends, I must tell you that it will be a hard thing to do. There are many warriors in that camp. They are brave. Perhaps we will have to fight hard to get those ponies."