He signaled for the party to stop and called two of the leader warriors to him. “We have traveled far from our village. Do you think it wise that we go on? Surely along the way we have seen many single deer, but nowhere have we seen signs of a herd or a large number. This territory which we now enter is the home and hunting grounds of the Conestogas. We must leave here, for we are on land that does not belong to us.”
Tall Hawk was turning to speak to the others of the party when one of the warriors interrupted him. “Yes, this is Conestoga country, but we are to stop now because of a few woodland weasels that call this their land?”
“But it is their land and we shall do just that, turn around and go back. Such foolishness this day could bring the angry Conestogas down on our heads in a very short space of time and we would be badly outnumbered. Our party is not too strong, and any attack upon us here in unfamiliar territory would mean that many lives would be lost.”
“Are you afraid, Tall Hawk? Does your stomach swim and your heart flutter like a bird? Surely the Conestogas do not concern you?”
“One Conestoga against one Shawnee, or even two Conestogas against one Shawnee, and I would not in the least be afraid, for the gods know that one good Shawnee brave could hold his own against any two Conestogas. But we are on their home grounds. Any attack by a large force of Conestogas and any one of us would be lucky to live. No, foolish one, we shall turn and go back in the direction we came. We shall search elsewhere for the elusive deer.”
With that, Tall Hawk turned to the hunting party and repeated what had gone on between himself and the other two braves. There were some grunts from braves who disagreed with Tall Hawk, but for the most part they were willing to return.
As the party turned to go back down the trail, one of the scouts who had been sent ahead came running into the circle to report that a large band of Conestogas were heading for just that place and they would be better off to start immediately for the home village. Tall Hawk gave the signal, and the hunting party turned quickly and trotted south toward the village.
It was fully a day’s journey and they had no rest. The long grind began to tell upon their numbers. When they would falter and were about to collapse, Tall Hawk could be heard to shout, “Keep running, fools! Do you wish your hair to grace the home of one of our Conestoga neighbors?”
This threat served its purpose, and the braves who were tiring suddenly found fresh strength and would continue the grueling run.
Soon they reached their own hunting grounds and were safe on the other side when the Conestogas broke from the cover of the forest and into the meadow which separated the hunting grounds of the two tribes.