"Cheyennes, Red Dog is alive," White Otter told them. "We saw him in the Kiowa camp."
"It is good, it is good," cried Running Crow. "My brothers, you have done a big thing."
The Cheyennes were beside themselves with excitement. Their gloom vanished. Their hearts filled with hope. Having learned that their chief was alive, their one thought was to rescue him. They realized, however, that it would be foolhardy to make the attempt before night. The thought suddenly sobered them. The delay suggested alarming possibilities. They began to have doubts.
"Perhaps the Kiowas will kill Red Dog before the night comes," they told one another.
Aroused by the thought, some of the warriors made reckless proposals to attack the camp at once. The majority, however, talked against it.
"We must wait," Running Crow told them. "If we let the Kiowas see us, they will kill Red Dog before we can help him. I do not believe anything will happen to him before the night comes. Come, White Otter, you are the leader, tell us how you feel about it."
"My brothers, we must wait," declared White Otter. "I do not believe the Kiowas will kill Red Dog before the night comes. I will tell you how I feel about it. I believe the Kiowas are getting ready for a big talk. They will tell their people about the great fight. They will dance and sing the war songs. Then Red Dog will be in danger. I believe they will bring him out to kill him. I do not believe they will do anything until it gets dark. Then we will be close to the camp. We will rush in and carry away your chief. Pretty soon I will tell you how I propose to do it. You must wait until I tell you about it. If you do anything foolish, Red Dog will surely die.
"Now I will tell you something different. My brothers, we found the ponies. The war ponies are in the Kiowa camp. The other ponies are outside with the Kiowa ponies. We will run off the ponies when we carry away Red Dog. This will be a big fight. I know that all of you are brave enough to go through with it. You must also be sharp. We must fool the Kiowas. Then they will not kill Red Dog before we get into the camp. I believe some scouts are still watching over there on that long hill. I believe they will go away before it gets dark. We must keep hiding in this place until they go away. Now I have told you what I have to say about it."
His words made a favorable impression upon the Cheyennes. They were convinced that his plan offered the only hope of saving Red Dog. They were eager to learn how he proposed to overcome the Kiowa camp without sacrificing the life of the Cheyenne chief. White Otter showed no inclination to tell them.
"My brothers, White Otter is a great chief," said Running Crow. "A great chief does not tell what he is about to do. You must wait until it is time to go ahead with this thing. Then White Otter will tell us about it."