Young Medicine Man

by Francis Lynde Kroll

Little Eagle started directly toward the creek, but when he reached a point opposite the Crow camp, he turned toward it. He crawled to a place where he could look down upon the camp. The warriors were gathered in a circle, talking earnestly together. Little Eagle couldn’t hear their words, but he could tell from their attitude that they were disputing some plan.

He watched the gestures of each warrior who spoke. From the motions they made, Little Eagle learned that the dispute was about the Sioux who had escaped. Most of the warriors seemed to believe that the Sioux had been able to take a message to the Sioux camp. A few warriors made motions to indicate the ground near their own camp. These were the ones who thought the wounded enemy must be hiding near by.

Little Eagle saw that the Crows had reached an agreement, but there was no way for him to tell what the agreement was. When he saw two warriors mount horses and ride up the hill toward him, it looked as though the decision had been made to search near the camp. He was puzzled to see a third warrior come up the hill on foot. The two mounted warriors sent their horses racing along the trail which led to the other Crow camp. The warrior on foot selected a tall tree and started to climb it.

“The riders are going to urge the other camp to hurry away, and the one climbing the tree is to keep watch,” Little Eagle thought to himself.

While the warrior was giving all of his attention to climbing the tree, Little Eagle slipped toward the stream. When he had gone a few steps, he was in a thick growth of trees where there was little danger that the lookout could see him.

When he had the bags filled with water, Little Eagle hesitated. He almost decided to cross the stream and circle the Crow camp again in order to take a safer way back, but the memory of Angry Wolf licking his lips made Little Eagle determine to take the shorter route. He had to walk carefully, avoiding not only twigs which might snap under his feet but also limbs and brush which might shake if he touched them.

When Little Eagle was near the tree the Crow warrior had climbed, he redoubled his caution. At first he couldn’t see the Crow, but when the warrior moved to look in another direction, Little Eagle saw him. Folding and unfolding his fingers, as he had done when he slipped out of his own camp, Little Eagle timed the movements of the Crow lookout. As soon as he knew it was safe, he darted across an open space to the shelter of another clump of bushes.

Here he got to his hands and knees. He crawled forward, making sure that he touched nothing which would move and betray him. As he crawled past the tree, Little Eagle’s heart thumped so wildly that he thought the Crow must surely hear it.

It wasn’t until he had crossed the trail and was in the shelter of the trees on the other side that Little Eagle felt safe. He hurried on to Angry Wolf’s side.

Little Eagle took the smaller bag and let a few drops of water fall on Angry Wolf’s lips. Angry Wolf ran his tongue across his lips and opened his mouth. Little Eagle poured water into Angry Wolf’s mouth. He was vastly relieved when Angry Wolf swallowed without choking.