Poor Red Knife was truly disposed of. The hatchet had killed him instantly. And all the hopes Cody had based upon his good offices were dissipated at once.
The scout stood there for some time and communed with himself. Should he risk going on into the village now? Or should he await some favorable opportunity of undermining Boyd Bennett’s power before putting himself within the bandit’s grasp?
CHAPTER XXXVIII.
WHITE ANTELOPE’S PERIL.
There was much disturbance in the encampment about this time, as Buffalo Bill had seen when making his observations from the high peaks about the valley. The Indians ran to and fro like ants, and runners frequently went out, or came in by the northern roads. This meant surely that Oak Heart was communicating with the other chiefs, and the scout feared that, stirred up by Boyd Bennett in his character of medicine chief, the Sioux leader was preparing for another attack like that on Fort Advance.
Rumors ran rife among the Indians regarding the movements of the bluecoats, and the numbers of them who had come to bury the dead whites after the recent ambush in which Oak Heart himself had taken part. The old chief, believing that Lieutenant Danforth was coming to attack his encampment, had taken part in this sanguinary struggle himself.
Now certain warriors brought strange rumors into the village. It was said that Pa-e-has-ka was on the war-path, too. And that he was leading the whites to the encampment. So spoke the Death Killer, the white medicine chief of the Sioux, who was gaining great influence with the young men of the tribe.
“Pa-e-has-ka is my foe,” he said bitterly, “and I sought to bring him captive here, or to slay him with his friend; but the White Antelope freed him, and sent him back to his people to carry Oak Heart’s warning. What has been done? Do not the white men come in force into the Indian country?
“The White Antelope turned a panther loose upon the trail of my red brothers. And he told her that he would return and come a prisoner again into Oak Heart’s village, and to his lodge. Has he come?”
“No!” answered many voices.