The braves were crowding round him, and he dared not say a word in English which would let Nomad and Clayton know who he was, and his disguise and his acting were so good that they did not recognize him. But he contrived to make himself known to old Nomad by a few words of Spanish, and he saw the old man stare in confusion and astonishment.
In a little while he found Lena Forest, crouching in the lodge where she had been held from the first.
At the entrance to this lodge stood old Wide Foot, who fell back when the terrible medicine man appeared before her.
Lena Forest started up, frightened by the entrance of the medicine man.
Not daring to use English, the scout said a few words in Spanish, wondering if she would understand. She uttered a cry of amazement, for she understood him—a cry which was fairly forced from her by her wild astonishment.
Buffalo Bill poked and peered, said a few words more to her in Spanish, the Indians thinking them words of invocation which they could not be expected to understand, and then he retreated.
As he did so, coming thus out of the lodge, he heard wild yells, and a rushing of feet. And then before him, bounding along, his eyes blazing and his whole being wrought to a frenzy, he saw the medicine man whom he had captured, and whom he was impersonating.
With yells of rage the medicine man rushed upon him, denouncing him, and screaming to the warriors that this was a white man, and must be beaten down and captured; that he was the terrible Long Hair himself!
It was like the explosion of a mine of gunpowder. Instantly, a dozen warriors sprang at Buffalo Bill, tearing the blanket from his shoulders, and yelling with rage as their enemy stood revealed.