"That will never be!" replied the chief. "Gray Eagle has made the smoke signals which will bring every warrior in the Blackfoot village to fight the Sioux. Then Gray Eagle can go down and fight them, too, and when he has killed them all, he will take White Panther prisoner, and make him marry Snowdrop!"
"You must be an old fool!" retorted the scout. "But then, I won't quarrel with you. When you get ready to take me prisoner, please let me know, and perhaps I can help you—and, chief, if it should accidentally happen that you get taken yourself, let me know that, too; and if I don't help you, it will be because I don't want to!"
The scout and his companion were turning to leave, when Gray Eagle asked:
"What is to hinder Gray Eagle from going down where his pale-face brothers go?"
"Perhaps nothing—perhaps much!" replied the scout. "In the first place, there is some one down there who will shoot the first Indian he sees, whether Blackfoot or Sioux! That is reason enough, and if it was not, there is a better one—I don't want you to go down there!"
The old chief could not avoid showing surprise at the bold, and even threatening language of the scout, and he concluded to adopt a different course.
"Would White Panther see the father of Snowdrop, who loves the pale-face, die here? Gray Eagle has nothing to eat."
"There is no one to blame but yourself," replied the scout. "You should have brought up provisions enough to last you. Are you very hungry?"
"Yes," replied Gray Eagle.
"Then why don't you go down and fight the Sioux? They have plenty to eat, and the plains are covered with buffalo."