"Listen," whispered White Otter.
They heard something moving about in the darkness. One of the ponies snorted and plunged wildly. It tore the lariat from the grasp of Little Raven, and dashed away. White Otter and Sun Bird sprang upon their ponies and raced after it. At that moment Little Raven saw two small awkward creatures galloping toward him. He shot his arrow before he recognized them. One of them rolled over, bawling lustily. The other ran off. Little Raven suddenly identified them as cubs of the grizzly bear.
"Hi, now I must watch out," he said.
The next moment a savage roar sounded close at hand, and he saw the mother bear running toward the wounded cub. He shot his arrow, and the bear turned to face him. For an instant he saw the threatening glare of her eyes. Then she rushed at him. He shot another arrow. Then he fled toward the cottonwood. He barely had time to draw himself to the lowest limb before the enraged bear was at the tree. She reared unsteadily, and tried to climb. Little Raven attempted to draw an arrow from his bow-case and almost fell from the limb. In the meantime the bear had dropped to the ground, and galloped back to her cubs. At that moment Little Raven heard his friends returning with the ponies.
"Watch out, Ma-to-ho-ta is here!" he cried. "I have killed one of her babies. She is very mad."
"Where are you?" White Otter inquired, anxiously.
"I am up here in this tree," said Little Raven.
"Ma-to-ho-ta has turned our brother into Zi-ca, the squirrel," laughed Sun Bird.
As the Sioux advanced, the bear rushed to meet them. Little Raven heard them shoot their arrows, and gallop away. There was no sound from the bear. He believed they had killed it.
"Ma-to-ho-ta is dead," he shouted.