Raoul stood before White Bear with his thumbs hooked into the white leather belt that cinched his blue uniform coat. His huge knife—the one that had cut White Bear's face years ago—hung at his left side, a pistol at his right. He grinned at White Bear.
"Well. I was hoping to meet you. I'd have liked it better on the field of battle, but here you are, in my camp. What were you doing, spying on us?"
White Bear sighed. Something crumbled inside him.
"Do you know this long knife?" Little Crow said in Sauk.
"Yes, he is my father's brother." A glimmer of hope appeared in Little Crow's eyes, but vanished when White Bear added, "And he is my worst enemy."
"Talk English around me!" Raoul shouted. "No Indian jabber."
"Black Hawk sent us," White Bear said. "He doesn't want to fight. We've come to make peace."
"The hell with that!" one of Raoul's men yelled. "We come out to fight Injuns."
"Well, hold on now!" cried another. "If they come peaceable, that means we can all go home and nobody hurt."
Raoul turned on the man. "I'll be the one to decide why they're here."