The warriors looked questioningly at Great Bear.
“Crows steal Sioux horses, too,” he explained.
Flying Arrow nodded excitedly. “Let’s follow their trail and get our horses back,” he exclaimed.
“It may not be so easy,” Great Bear warned. “Whoever stole our horses has a long start. Perhaps he was careful to leave a poor trail. Little Bear, take us to the trail.”
Little Bear led the way back to the place where he had found the trail. The other warriors waited while Great Bear got down and examined the tracks. He studied them carefully. At last he turned to the other warriors.
“It was a Crow,” he told them, “and only one. He got our horses soon after our camp went to sleep. He has almost a sun’s start on us, and you may be sure he will try to hide his trail as soon as he is away from our camp.”
“We must follow at once,” Flying Arrow insisted. “We won’t let him steal our horses.”
“Some of us must stay and guard the meat,” Red Cloud objected. “The chiefs will be expecting us to bring it to the main camp.”
“The chiefs will be angry if we delay the tribe’s start to winter camping grounds,” Limping Fox warned. “It will not be long until Old-Man-of-the-North sends snow flying.”
“Red Cloud and Limping Fox have spoken wisely,” Great Bear agreed. “We must take our meat to the main tribe at once, but I will not lose my horses to a thieving Crow. While the rest of you return to camp, I will go after the horses.”