"My eyes tell me nothing," he said.
"It is good," replied Hollow Bear. "Come, now we will ride toward our people."
Having made the wide detour toward the west to deceive anyone who might have been watching, the crafty Sioux now turned toward the north. They forced the ponies to a desperate pace, for they realized that they must reach the Ogalala camp without a moment of unnecessary delay. They had not gone far, however, when they saw what looked like the heads of several prairie wolves, above a rise of ground to the west. There was something about them that instantly roused the suspicions of the Ogalalas. They felt sure that the "wolves" were disguised scouts.
"It is bad," cried Hollow Bear. "Those things are not wolves. No, they are Pawnee scouts. We have been discovered. We must keep watching that place. I believe there is another big war party over there."
"Yes, I believe it is so," declared Little Wolf. "Those people are watching for their brothers. I believe that all the Pawnees are coming to fight our people. They will come up on both sides of the village. See, those scouts have gone away. I believe that they have gone to tell their people about us."
"Well, there is one over there," replied Hollow Bear. "See, he is looking over that rock."
"Your eyes are like the eyes of the great war bird," said Little Wolf. "Now I see him. Yes, he is watching us."
The Sioux were much depressed by what they had seen. It was evident that a vast force of Pawnees were approaching the Ogalala village. The two scouts felt sure that their people would be greatly outnumbered, and as the Ogalala camp contained many women and children, besides the aged, they dared not think what would happen if the pitiless Pawnees once forced their way into the village. They realized that they must reach the village far enough ahead of their foes to give Wolf Robe and his warriors time to prepare for the attack. Roused by the thought, they urged their ponies to the limit of endurance. Then, as they glanced uneasily over their shoulders, they saw a small company of horsemen watching them from the ridge to the westward.
"We are too far away; they will not ride after us," declared Hollow Bear.
"Perhaps they do not know that we are Dacotahs," suggested Little Wolf.