“If it doesn’t stop bleeding soon, we’ll stop and apply a poultice,” he said.
“It’s nothing,” Bent Arrow insisted.
“If it doesn’t stop bleeding soon, you are to tell me,” Flying Arrow ordered.
“The Sioux will lose time trying to catch those horses that got away from us, won’t they?” Bent Arrow asked.
“They will,” Flying Arrow agreed. “But, when they do catch them, they’ll go faster than we can. Driving this herd will slow us.”
It wasn’t long before Flying Arrow’s words were proved true. The herd, which hadn’t been running very fast, slowed to an easy trot. In spite of the efforts of the two Crows, the horses would not increase their speed.
“We must find some way to slow the Sioux,” Flying Arrow said thoughtfully.
Bent Arrow didn’t have an opportunity to answer. Two horses at the head of the herd had slowed to a walk; others were reluctant to pass the leaders, and the whole herd was going at a dangerously slow pace. Bent Arrow crowded his horse against the nearest one in the herd, trying to get it past the leaders. It was while he was failing that he thought of his plan. He reined his horse beside Flying Arrow’s.
“The Sioux will stop to catch every horse we leave, won’t they?” Bent Arrow asked.
“They’re sure to do that,” Flying Arrow agreed. “They’ve probably delayed to catch the horses that escaped from our herd.”