"Pretty soon we will catch those riders," White Otter declared, grimly.
At that moment, however, the Pawnee scouts turned toward the east. White Otter instantly detected the clever ruse.
"Do not follow them," he cried. "They are trying to lead us off. Keep after the ponies."
Then they swept over a rise of the plain, and saw the Pawnees and the ponies directly ahead of them. They were a long distance away, however, and were riding desperately. They appeared to have the great herd of ponies under complete control, and White Otter realized that the chase threatened to be a long one.
"They are far ahead of us," he said, soberly.
Having actually sighted the Pawnees, the war party was determined to overtake them. Forcing the ponies to a killing pace, they began to gain upon their foes. Stride by stride they overcame the lead of the Pawnees until the latter were barely two arrow flights away. Then the Pawnees lashed the ponies into a furious sprint, and held off their pursuers. The wild race across the plain became a test of endurance between the rival ponies. Both companies of riders knew that the gallant little beasts must eventually collapse, but each hoped that their foes would be the first to weaken. The ponies appeared to be well matched, however, and the exhausting chase continued.
The Pawnees were approaching a long, straggling line of trees that reached far across the plain. White Otter knew that the timber marked the course of a stream. He rode wildly to overtake his foes before they reached it. Once they crossed the water he realized that it would be difficult to reach them, and still more difficult to secure the ponies. His efforts were useless, however, for the Pawnees held their lead. They were still safely beyond arrow range when they finally forced their gasping ponies across the stream, and came to a stand in the timber along the bank. White Otter pulled up the sweating piebald. The long pursuit had come to an end. The Pawnees had placed a formidable barrier between them and their foes. For the moment, at least, they were safe from attack.
"Now I know why they did not stop to fight," White Otter said, bitterly. "They were trying to get to that place. Now they are there. It is bad."
"Well, we made them stop," declared Red Dog.
"Yes, we kept them from getting to their camp," said Black Moccasin. "Now we are close. They cannot get away. Pretty soon we will go over there and run off the ponies."