“Just that,” said the fox, who wished to be very agreeable to the little bear. “By the way, did you happen to hear Cho-gay say just when he expected to free the mountain sheep and the fox?”
“Yes,” replied Wongo, who was anxious to show his caller that he knew a great deal about the doings of the ruler of the Black Hills, “I heard him say that the mountain sheep is to go free in three days, that’s the day after to-morrow, but the fox is to be kept for a long time, as he is a great thief and has twice broken the law.”
The little fox squirmed uneasily when the last statement was made, but his uneasiness escaped the notice of the bear.
“But what has all that to do with the great secret that you have to tell Cho-gay?” asked Wongo.
“You will learn all that if you will just agree to accompany me to his cave, and if you would—well, just tell him that I am Red-eagle Fox, the hunter.”
Wongo made no reply for some time, merely for the impressive effect his silence would have on his caller.
“Yes,” he said at length, “although it is a long, hard trip from here to Cho-gay’s cave, and I have no love for long trips, I can see no great reason why I should not do you the favor to accompany you. Then, too, Cho-gay may want my advice.”
Before Sandy could make any reply to this, five silent gray figures suddenly appeared in a semi-circle behind him and Fearful, the coyote, spoke.
“Brother Sandy is wanted by our leader, the Indian man-child. There is a tale that our brother, the fox, has been telling and Cho-gay would hear it from his own mouth.”
At this announcement the little fox began to swell with pride, and all interest in Wongo vanished.