His attention was drawn back to the trail by the faint drumming sound made by the hoofs of fast-running horses. The sound rapidly became plainer. Little Eagle picked up a small stone and tossed it back over his shoulder.
By the time Angry Wolf had crawled to Little Eagle’s side, the Pawnees were flying back down the trail. Three riderless horses raced ahead of the warriors. Little Eagle saw that the Pawnees were whipping their horses, trying to get them to go still faster. When he saw the big band of Crows come into sight around the bend, he understood why the Pawnees were fleeing.
There must have been fifty warriors in that band of pursuing Crows. The Crows were lashing their ponies as furiously as were the Pawnees. Three or four Crows were outdistancing the rest of the pursuers and drawing closer to the Pawnees.
Most of the Pawnees leaned low over their horses’ necks. One, at the rear of the group, suddenly straightened up. He half turned and, seemingly without taking aim, let an arrow fly. The leading Crow dropped from his horse as though he had been jerked off by an invisible, giant hand.
The other Crows pulled their horses to a stop around the fallen man. They hesitated for only a moment before they raced on, but it was long enough to allow the Pawnees to gain a considerable distance.
Little Eagle and Angry Wolf watched the chase until both parties were out of sight. They continued to watch the fallen Crow where his companions had left him, with his horse grazing a few paces away. The sun was almost down when the party of Crows returned. They weren’t leading any riderless ponies so it was plain that the Pawnees had escaped. The Crows stopped and picked up the slain warrior. They laid him across the back of his own horse and slowly rode out of sight.
“That is a lesson we must remember,” Little Eagle said. “The Pawnees were so anxious to catch us that they forgot to watch for other dangers.”
“But they did kill a Crow,” Angry Wolf replied.
“There were three Pawnee horses without riders,” Little Eagle reminded him.
“It was a high price to pay for one enemy,” Angry Wolf agreed.