Little Eagle frowned. A short time ago Angry Wolf had been full of confidence. He had wanted to sing the Victory Song. Now he was sure that they couldn’t succeed. It was true that his dream had ended without the swallow showing him how to escape with the horses. Suddenly Little Eagle’s frown changed to a smile of relief.
“The mud swallow is an enemy of the Crows,” Little Eagle reminded his friend. “He won’t let them catch us.”
“I hope you’re right,” Angry Wolf replied doubtfully. “Anyway I think we should sleep before we start on. We need rest.”
Little Eagle wondered if Angry Wolf’s plan was good. The Crows would soon be on their trail. Every step he and Angry Wolf went now would be another step away from their enemies. If the Crows started while he and Angry Wolf slept, they would be cutting down the distance between them. But they did need the rest. Besides, Angry Wolf should make some of the decisions. He stretched out on the ground and fell asleep.
Little Eagle sat up sleepily when Angry Wolf touched his arm. He felt as though he had just closed his eyes, yet when he looked to the east, he saw the sun high above the hills.
“We must start,” Angry Wolf urged.
It took the two of them a long time to catch horses to ride and drive the others into a herd. When they were ready to start, Little Eagle again took the lead.
They had trouble keeping the herd moving fast. Sometimes the horses would trot, but most of the time they plodded along at a walk. Often one of the horses tried to turn back. Angry Wolf had to be constantly alert.
When the sun was straight overhead, Little Eagle didn’t stop for their usual rest. He did signal for Angry Wolf to take the lead, and he rode behind the horses.
Whenever they crossed a hill, Little Eagle stopped to look back. As the day wore on and he saw no signs of Crows, he began to feel more confident. It was nearly dark by the time they stopped beside a small stream. Little Eagle felt almost safe. He was even more encouraged by Angry Wolf’s growing cheerfulness.