"It is good," said Sun Bird.
They waited a few moments longer to make sure that the Pawnees had actually gone. Then, as they saw nothing of them, they mounted the ponies and rode toward the south. They held the ponies to an easy canter, and kept a sharp watch behind them. The Pawnees failed to appear.
"Wa-kan-tun-ka, the Great Mystery, has given us our lives," declared Sun Bird.
"It is true," said White Otter. "Perhaps we will be able to help the Cheyennes. I believe we will find them over there near those buffaloes."
At dark they turned sharply toward the east. They went a long way before they finally circled toward the north. They rode in silence, listening sharply for sounds from the Pawnees. The night was still.
"Perhaps the Cheyennes are getting ready to fight the Pawnees," suggested Sun Bird.
"That would be bad," declared White Otter. "If the Cheyennes are over there we must find them, and tell them to come away. They must go to help their people. There is little time. I am thinking about Red Dog, and the women and children in that camp. Perhaps the Kiowas have killed them."
When they finally drew near the place where the Pawnees had killed the buffaloes, they stopped to listen. Then, as they heard nothing to alarm them, they advanced with great caution. The sky was bright with stars, and they were able to see a short distance through the night. They knew that they were to the eastward of the place where they had first seen the buffaloes.
"Pretty soon we will circle around, and go over there," said White Otter.
They turned toward the west, and soon came in sight of the ridge from which they had discovered the Pawnee hunters. A few moments later a pony called within bowshot of them. They stopped in alarm. Then a voice challenged softly from the darkness. Little Raven recognized the Pawnee dialect. He immediately replied.