"It is good," said Sun Bird. "Now we will wait here until we know where those people have stopped."
Just before dark the other scouts arrived, but Short Bear and Lean Wolf had not yet returned. The riders who had been watching to the south and west of the camp said that they had seen nothing but antelope and prairie wolves. Therefore, the Sioux waited in considerable suspense to hear what Short Bear and his companion had learned about the travelers.
Night had already fallen when the two scouts finally returned. They said that they had followed the riders until sunset, when they stopped and made camp at a water-hole some distance to the north. Waiting until it was dark, Short Bear left his pony with Lean Wolf, and approached sufficiently near to identify the horsemen as Kiowas. He learned furthermore that they were armed and painted for war.
"It is bad," declared Sitting Eagle. "Perhaps those people are going to steal Sioux ponies. We must hurry away from here, and go back to our village."
"Yes, that is the best thing to do," agreed Feather Dog. "The Kiowas are our enemies. If they are traveling toward our village we must get ahead of them and warn our people."
"What you say is true," declared Sun Bird. "I will tell you what it is in my mind to do. I will ask my brother Sitting Eagle, and my brother Lean Wolf to ride ahead and tell our people about this thing. We will follow with the horses."
A few moments later the two warriors who had been selected to ride ahead of the war party mounted their ponies and rode away. Their companions followed soon afterward. Sun Bird and White Otter rode together at the head of the company, and the others followed in single file, leading the captured ponies. They rode some distance farther toward the west and then they turned toward the north and hastened along at a brisk canter. They had not gone far, however, when they were halted by a wide stream which the spring freshets had transformed into an impassable barrier. Even the most daring among them saw at once that it would be sheer madness to attempt to swim the ponies through that raging flood. However, they soon learned that their dilemma was not as serious as it appeared, for Feather Dog and Spotted Elk both knew the stream. They declared that if they followed it toward the east they would find that it turned abruptly toward the north, and they could travel along parallel with it.
"But if we go over there perhaps we will meet the Kiowas," suggested Sun Bird.
"No, we will not go so far," replied Feather Dog. "But we must be very cautious."
They changed their route, and rode swiftly along beside the swollen stream. Short Bear declared that they were a long way west of the spot where the Kiowas had encamped. However, the Sioux determined to take every precaution, and after they had gone some distance they stopped and sent Short Bear and Feather Dog forward to reconnoiter. They soon returned and said that a short distance farther on the stream turned toward the north. Short Bear told his companions that he had crawled to the top of a ridge to look for the Kiowa camp, but had been unable to find it. He had recognized the general contour of the plain, however, and he said he felt sure that their foes were too far away to cause concern.