“We’ll have a better chance to get away if we pick a few good horses,” he pointed out.
“The more horses we take, the greater our victory,” Angry Wolf whispered urgently.
After a few minutes of whispering together, Angry Wolf agreed to accept Little Eagle’s plan to take five horses apiece. When the horses had been selected, Angry Wolf took the halter ropes of two of them and started away from the camp. Little Eagle rode behind, herding the others. Now the wisdom of Little Eagle’s plan was plain, for even the few horses were hard to get started. Little Eagle’s horse was kept turning and plunging to hold the horses in a bunch.
Angry Wolf rode straight west until he saw that Little Eagle had the herd under control. Then he turned north, as they had decided to do. There was no chance to pick a route where they wouldn’t leave a trail. Even in the places where there was no snow, the tracks of the horses could easily be seen.
After they had ridden for what seemed a long time, Little Eagle called for Angry Wolf to stop. Little Eagle circled the herd and rode to his friend’s side.
“We’ll turn east here,” Little Eagle ordered. “We may be able to fool the Crows into thinking we are Pawnees. If we do, they’ll turn south to cut us off. We will soon turn north again.”
“We have won a great victory over the Crows,” Angry Wolf gloated.
“We will win a great victory if we get away,” Little Eagle answered grimly. “The Crows will follow us when they learn of their loss.”
“By that time we shall have escaped,” Angry Wolf said hopefully.
Little Eagle looked at his friend in wonder. For days, Angry Wolf had been downhearted and gloomy. He had thought they had no chance against the Crows. Now that they had made this little start, Angry Wolf had completely changed. He already counted the victory won.