“You look well,” said Haka Kaina. “You are ready for war, and we will start to-morrow early.”
Next morning the women painted their faces, put on feathers and beads, danced behind the men, sang, and said good words to them at parting. As the men marched along southward, there were so many that the dust which rose from them went up to the sun. They went forward singing. Haka Kaina himself sang as he led this great army. When near Hwipajusi’s country, Haka Kaina sent Pokil Kama, Gaman Atpa, Pahninopa, and Tsanu Noipa to examine everything and bring back news.
These four men saw many villages belonging to different people, and visited four of them. They went to the villages of Pareko, Chapilkeya, Chil Wareko, and Chil Dayauna. They saw a great many people at these four villages; each chief had an immense sweat-house, and Chil Dayauna’s people had elkskin armor to fight in.
The four men went back about dusk and had not seen all that there was to see. They said to Haka Kaina, “We saw a great many people; you must be careful; our people must fight well.”
Haka Kaina’s men sharpened their arrow-points.
Two Tsoplaina boys went with Haka Kaina. The chief was very fond of these boys, and they liked him. They heard what the four scouts had said, and at dusk these two boys went to Hwipajusi’s and saw the three girls playing around the fire.
“Look, look at the mouse,” said one of the girls.
“That is a mouse coming after you,” said Hwipajusi, laughing.
“Where are the two brothers?” asked Haka Kaina, when he missed the Tsoplaina boys. No one had sent these young men to Hwipajusi’s.
Now, the Tsoplaina brothers worked hard, worked all night. They went through more than half the houses, and destroyed a great many bow-strings. At daylight they went back and told Haka Kaina what they had done.