“While you’re hunting, I’ll ride back to the top of the first hill,” Little Eagle told him. “From there I can see a long way. If there are no Crows in sight, we can feel safe.”
Little Eagle would much rather have gone with Angry Wolf to hunt buffaloes. It was almost certain that they had escaped the Crows. Yet he had been taught that a warrior must always guard against surprise.
The hill rose to a high, pointed peak. Little Eagle rode half way up it. Here he dismounted. He crept up the last few paces to the top as carefully as though he expected to see Crows coming up the other side. He took a long time to study the trail. Nothing moved along it. At last he returned to his horse, mounted, and rode back to camp.
Little Eagle had been in camp only a short time when Angry Wolf rode in, carrying a piece of buffalo meat. Angry Wolf rode triumphantly. All of his gloom of the evening before was gone.
“We’ll bring in the rest of the buffalo meat as soon as we have eaten,” he said cheerfully.
“We have done well,” Little Eagle said.
“Well!” Angry Wolf exclaimed. “We have won victories over the Pawnees and Crows. Hunting has been good. We ought to sing the Victory Song.”
Only a short time ago, Little Eagle had thought they should sing the Victory Song. Now, as Angry Wolf became surer that they had escaped, Little Eagle began to feel new doubts.
“We’d better wait another day,” he said. “I think we have escaped the Crows, but surely after one more day there can be no doubt.”
Angry Wolf didn’t act greatly disappointed. He seemed to feel that one more day before they sang the Victory Song would make little difference.