  Little Eagle awoke as the first, faint streaks of dawn were lighting up the eastern sky. He sat up, trying to decide what sound had wakened him. He glanced toward the other pile of leaves and saw Angry Wolf struggling to sit up. Angry Wolf managed to raise his head, but immediately let it sink back upon the leaves. “Where am I?” Angry Wolf asked weakly when Little Eagle bent over him. “We’re camping by ourselves,” Little Eagle answered. “Where are—” Angry Wolf began but stopped when Little Eagle raised his finger to his lips in the signal for silence. “You have been badly wounded,” Little Eagle explained. “When you have eaten, I’ll tell you about it.” Little Eagle held one of the water bags to Angry Wolf’s lips so that he could drink. “I’ll get meat for our breakfast,” Little Eagle told him. Little Eagle saw that the chill morning air was making Angry Wolf uncomfortable, but he was afraid to build a fire until he had scouted around their camping place. He tied the one empty water bag to his belt, took his bow and arrows, and started off. Little Eagle didn’t go directly to the stream. Instead, he circled the camp to look for signs of enemies. Not until he had completed the circle did he start toward the creek. On the way, he stopped often to look and listen. By the time he reached the stream, he was sure that there were no enemies near. He studied the place where deer came down to drink. There were signs that deer had been there a short time before. It wasn’t likely that others would use the same watering place soon, so Little Eagle shot another squirrel. He cleaned and dressed it at the stream. As soon as he was back at camp, Little Eagle built another fire. He spitted the squirrel on a stick and roasted it over the coals. When the squirrel was cooked, Little Eagle carried it to Angry Wolf. Angry Wolf took it, but he didn’t have strength enough to tear it apart. He handed it back to Little Eagle. Little Eagle twisted off a chunk which he handed to his friend. Angry Wolf accepted the piece of meat, but he didn’t start to eat. Little Eagle looked at him questioningly. “I eat when you eat,” Angry Wolf told him. Little Eagle took a piece of the meat for himself. Both of them ate until the meat was gone. “Now tell me how I came here,” Angry Wolf ordered. As briefly as possible, Little Eagle told him all that had happened since Angry Wolf had been knocked from the horse. As he finished his account, Little Eagle looked toward Angry Wolf. The other boy’s eyes were closed and he seemed to be asleep. Little Eagle picked up his bow and arrow and got to his feet. “Where are you going?” Angry Wolf asked, opening his eyes. “We need more meat,” Little Eagle explained. “I’m going to try to get a deer.” “Let it go until tomorrow,” Angry Wolf answered. “You have done everything. You need a rest. Tomorrow I’ll be strong enough to do my share. Let the hunting go until then.” Little Eagle tried to hide the doubt he felt when he looked toward his friend. “We are in much-fought-over land,” he pointed out. “Tomorrow some of our enemies may come here. Then we would have no chance to hunt.” “That is true,” Angry Wolf agreed slowly. “I’ll put a bag of water where you can reach it,” Little Eagle told him. “There is much game. I shouldn’t be gone long.” “Prop me up and put my bow near me before you leave,” Angry Wolf suggested. Little Eagle found a large limb which had been blown from one of the trees during a storm. He dragged this over and put it behind Angry Wolf. He put a water bag as well as the bow and arrows where Angry Wolf could reach them easily. “I have some good hunting arrows,” Angry Wolf said. “Take two of them. Any hunter might miss one shot.” Little Eagle selected two arrows from Angry Wolf’s quiver. Before leaving, he made another scouting trip around their camp. When he had made sure that there were no enemies near, he started off. Little Eagle went to the creek. He studied the place where deer came to drink. There were many tracks on the other side of the creek. He wet his finger and held it up to tell from which direction the wind was blowing. He gave a pleased nod when he found it was blowing from the other side of the creek toward him. He jumped across the creek and went straight into the wind. Little Eagle picked his way with care. He went slowly, being careful to make no sound that would warn game ahead of him. He hadn’t gone far when he sighted five deer grazing in a small meadow. The meadow was completely surrounded by trees. Although the deer were grazing near the middle of it, they were within bowshot of the nearest trees. Little Eagle dampened his finger again and tested the slight breeze. It was blowing directly from the deer toward him. As he worked his way toward the deer, Little Eagle noticed that the stag constantly lifted his head and sniffed as though sensing danger. Little Eagle was sure that he was moving so quietly the deer couldn’t hear him. With the wind blowing from the deer toward the boy, the stag couldn’t catch his scent. Still the animal continued to sniff and move about uneasily. Little Eagle stopped. In some way his movements must be carrying a warning to the deer. However, while Little Eagle remained motionless, the stag continued to sniff. Suddenly he snorted and bounded high into the air. While Little Eagle watched helplessly, the whole herd raced away. In a moment he saw the cause of the deer’s alarm. Two big gray wolves dashed out of their hiding place toward the nearest doe. Both wolves sprang, but both missed, and the deer were gone. Little Eagle was so angry that he brought the bow up and took aim at one of the wolves. Before he let the arrow fly, he remembered that it was one of Angry Wolf’s good hunting arrows. If he missed the wolf, or merely wounded it, the arrow would be lost. Reluctantly he lowered the bow. There would be no chance to stalk those fleeing deer. Little Eagle knew the stag might lead his herd for miles before he allowed them to stop and graze again. When he saw the wolves slink off to the right, Little Eagle turned to his left. He continued until the sun was straight overhead without finding another herd of deer. Disappointedly, he turned back toward the creek. This was too far for him to carry a deer if he managed to get one. Besides, he didn’t like to stay away from Angry Wolf so long. Angry Wolf was better, but he was still far from well. Twice on the journey back to the creek, Little Eagle saw small herds of deer. Each time the wind was blowing from him toward them. They caught his scent and dashed away long before he was within bowshot of them. Little Eagle reached the creek at a place far downstream from where he had crossed before. He turned to follow the bank to the place where he had crossed. He had covered about half of the distance when he saw a stag and two does grazing near the creek. The deer were in a small, grassy glade. They were so far from the trees that it didn’t seem possible for Little Eagle to get close enough to them. Still he didn’t want to give up without trying. He tested the wind again. Before he started toward the deer, Little Eagle worked his way to a point where the wind was blowing from them to him. From the cover of the trees nearest the deer, Little Eagle measured the distance with his eye. It was too far for a bowshot. He would have to try to reach the clump of shrubs between him and the deer. The deer continued to graze while Little Eagle crawled toward them. He reached the clump of shrubs without alarming the game. He was still a long bowshot from the deer, but as there was no more cover between him and them, he had to risk a shot from where he was. As Little Eagle slowly raised his bow, the stag lifted his head and sniffed suspiciously. Little Eagle took careful aim at the nearest doe. He pulled the bowstring back with all of his strength. At the instant Little Eagle released the arrow, the stag snorted and gave a tremendous leap. Before the doe could heed the warning, the arrow struck her. The doe crumpled to the ground. Little Eagle gave a low cry of triumph. Here was food to last several days. Dressing the deer was slow work. It had looked easy when Little Eagle had watched a warrior do it. He found it wasn’t nearly so easy as it had looked. He could have skinned the deer more quickly if he hadn’t been so careful not to cut a hole in the hide. This was the first deer he had ever shot. He had been told that if a hunter removed the hide from the first deer or buffalo he shot without cutting a hole in it, he would always be a successful hunter. When he finally had the hide removed, Little Eagle looked it over carefully. He had done it. There wasn’t a single hole. He finished dressing the carcass and tied it as high in a tree as he could reach. When that was done, he carried the hide to the stream where he buried it in the soft mud. He went back to the carcass and cut off a large chunk of meat to take with him. Little Eagle approached camp uneasily. He had been gone much longer than he had planned. In that time many things could have happened to Angry Wolf. As he stepped into sight of the camp, Little Eagle stopped abruptly. Angry Wolf had picked up his bow and was holding it with an arrow pointing straight at Little Eagle. In his surprise, Little Eagle didn’t notice that Angry Wolf hadn’t the strength to draw the bowstring back. When Angry Wolf saw that it was Little Eagle approaching the camp, he lowered the bow. “You are better,” Little Eagle exclaimed. “By tomorrow I’ll be able to travel,” Angry Wolf assured him. As soon as he had a fire started, Little Eagle cut steaks from the piece of meat he had brought to camp. He noticed that both water bags were empty, so he took them to the creek and filled them while the meat was cooking. While they were eating, Angry Wolf insisted that Little Eagle again tell all that had taken place since he had been wounded. “I owe my life to you,” Angry Wolf said, when Little Eagle finished the account. “You would have done the same for me,” Little Eagle insisted. “I wouldn’t have known how,” Angry Wolf admitted. “When we were trying to get horses from the Crows, I thought I should do it because I am older than you. Now you have proved that you are the real leader.” “There are many things I should have learned from our teacher,” Little Eagle protested. “In winter camp I will learn more.” For a time both boys were quiet. When Angry Wolf broke the silence, he spoke gravely. “It is a long journey on foot to the winter camp,” he said. “Old-man-of-the-north might send snow to catch us on the prairie.” Little Eagle shuddered. He knew what it would be like to be caught on the prairie in a blizzard. They had no tepee to shelter them, nor blankets to keep them warm. There were places where they might travel on foot for several suns without seeing a tree. If they were caught in one of those places, they would be without fuel or shelter. “We must get horses,” Little Eagle urged. “It is late in the season for hunting parties to be here,” Angry Wolf said. “There may be no one from whom we can take horses. Besides, our medicine is not strong. We didn’t get any horses from the Crows.” “What are we to do?” Little Eagle demanded. “Perhaps tomorrow we can decide,” Angry Wolf suggested. “It may be that while we sleep, you will have a dream to guide us. You have studied under Clawing Bear. You might have a medicine dream like a medicine man or a warrior.” “I hope I do,” Little Eagle responded. Little Eagle took the log away from Angry Wolf’s back. As soon as Angry Wolf had stretched out on the pile of leaves, Little Eagle put armloads of leaves over him. Before he crawled into his own pile of leaves, Little Eagle covered the fire with dirt. When he awoke in the morning, Little Eagle could taste disappointment like bitter food. He had hoped that a dream to guide them would come to him in his sleep, but there had been none. He glanced toward Angry Wolf. The look on Angry Wolf’s face told plainly that he had had no vision either. Angry Wolf got slowly to his feet. He stood for a moment, weaving from side to side. Little Eagle jumped up and ran to him when it looked as though Angry Wolf would fall. He steadied Angry Wolf while the wounded boy sat down. “I’m still weak,” Angry Wolf admitted unhappily. “You are stronger than you have been,” Little Eagle encouraged him. “That is the first time you have been able to get to your feet.” After he had eaten, Angry Wolf again stood up. He was able to take only a few steps before he had to sit down. “It will be another day before I can travel,” he said. Little Eagle picked up the water bags. One was empty and the other had only a little in it. “Drink this,” he said, offering the water bag to Angry Wolf. “I’ll fill both of them and bring more meat back to camp.” “We should get closer to the stream,” Angry Wolf told him. “This is too far for you to carry water and food. Besides, you are making a trail which can easily be seen if an enemy comes this way.” Little Eagle had thought of the danger of an enemy stumbling onto his trail. Wherever they camped, there would be danger of someone finding them. Here was the added danger that the trail leading to their camp would be found. “I’ll try to carry you,” he offered. “I’ll lean on you and walk,” Angry Wolf replied. Little Eagle kicked dirt over the fire. He brushed about the camping place with a small branch. It wasn’t possible to hide the signs that they had been there, but by brushing over the ground, Little Eagle made it difficult for anyone to judge how long they had been gone. Angry Wolf had difficulty walking. The first two or three steps he was able to go by placing his hand lightly on Little Eagle’s shoulder. He rapidly grew weaker and had to lean heavily on Little Eagle. They went slowly, stopping often to rest. The day was half gone by the time they reached the stream. Angry Wolf was so exhausted that he sprawled on the ground and immediately fell asleep. The next few days were busy ones for Little Eagle. Twice a day he made a scouting trip around their camp. He built a lean-to which would protect them in case of a storm. He brought the rest of the meat into camp and tied it in a nearby tree. Whenever he could find time, he added to the supply of firewood. Angry Wolf gained strength slowly. The first two days after his long walk to camp, he spent most of the time sleeping. The third day he managed to walk to the creek for water. That evening the poultice fell from his wound. When Little Eagle looked at the wound, he found that it was completely closed. “In another day or two I’ll be able to travel,” Angry Wolf said confidently. “I’m sure you will,” Little Eagle agreed. The fourth morning Little Eagle started the day by making his usual scouting trip. He crossed the stream and went south to the first row of hills. As he was going up the hill, he stopped and sniffed the air. The wind was blowing from the other side of the hill toward him. It carried a faint odor of wood smoke. He used all the skill he had to reach the top of the hill without giving warning to whoever was on the other side of it. His first glance from the top of the hill showed him that there was no one camping in the valley below. There were only two trees in the valley. The branches on them were so high that Little Eagle would have been able to see any camp under them. But the smell of smoke was stronger. “The camp must be across the hill on the other side of this valley,” Little Eagle told himself. Little Eagle looked doubtfully at the valley below him. If he crossed it to climb the hill on the other side, he would have to walk in the open. He shook his head. Since enemies were so near, he would have to be very careful. The best plan would be to circle to the left where he could stay in the protection of trees. It took him a long time to circle through the trees to a place where he could look down into the valley. When he saw the camp, he knew it belonged to Pawnees. Most of the tepees were hidden from him by trees, so he couldn’t count them and learn how many warriors were in the party. The cooking fire was in the open where he could see it. Several warriors were gathered around it. Little Eagle saw two of the men leave the campfire and go toward the grove of trees west of camp. When he looked in that direction, he saw horses grazing. There were at least twenty horses in sight, and others were hidden from him by the grove. Little Eagle watched the two warriors. He saw them start to drive the horses toward camp. If the horses were being brought in, it must mean that the warriors were ready to leave. Yet, when Little Eagle glanced back toward the fire, the men were still sitting there. It seemed that they were waiting for something or someone. A couple of men got up to go help the two with the horses, but no one seemed to be in a hurry. While Little Eagle was wondering if he should try to get closer to the camp, a rider came dashing toward it from the east. The man jumped off his horse and spoke excitedly to the others. The warriors suddenly sprang into action. In a few moments every warrior had caught a horse and was mounted. At a signal from the man who had ridden into camp, all of the warriors dashed off in the direction from which the rider had come. Little Eagle understood their actions as well as if he had heard them talking. The rider who had dashed into camp was a buffalo scout. He had found a large herd of buffaloes near camp and was leading the warriors to the hunt. If the buffaloes had been far from camp, some warrior would have been given the job of bringing the herd of pack horses. The pack horses would be needed to bring the meat into camp. Little Eagle looked longingly at the herd of horses. If Angry Wolf and he had two of them, they could safely risk the long journey across the prairie. Little Eagle was confident he could get two horses, since no warrior had been left to guard the herd. By the time the Pawnees had finished killing and butchering buffaloes, he and Angry Wolf could have half a sun’s start. But Angry Wolf wasn’t strong enough to do the hard riding they must do to escape. Little Eagle turned away and hurried back to camp. “What did you learn?” Angry Wolf asked as Little Eagle came into sight. For a moment Little Eagle looked at his friend in surprise. Did Angry Wolf have the power to look into his mind as Clawing Bear had done? Little Eagle smiled at his own foolishness. He had been gone longer than usual. He had hurried back into camp. These things had told Angry Wolf that he had discovered something. “There is a party of Pawnee hunters,” Little Eagle answered. “Are they coming this way?” Angry Wolf asked quietly. Little Eagle shook his head. “They found a herd of buffaloes near their camp,” he answered. “They’re hunting now.” “It is too bad that you couldn’t have taken two of their horses,” Angry Wolf said thoughtfully. “We would have had a chance to escape.” “I could have taken two,” Little Eagle answered. “The horses that the warriors weren’t riding were left unguarded in camp. I didn’t take them because I was afraid you weren’t strong enough to ride as hard as we would need to ride in order to escape.” “I could ride,” Angry Wolf said. “However, it would be too dangerous for you to try to get the horses. It is likely that someone would catch you at it.” “I could still get them before the warriors returned from hunting,” Little Eagle insisted. “It might be our last chance to get horses,” Angry Wolf said thoughtfully. “I am going to get horses for us,” Little Eagle said, suddenly making up his mind. “It is too dangerous,” Angry Wolf repeated. “There is some danger you have overlooked.” “When the Pawnees have finished dressing the buffaloes they have killed, they will cure the meat before leaving their camp,” Little Eagle pointed out. “While the meat is curing, the Pawnees will have time to scout. They are sure to find our camp. There is a danger that I have seen.” Angry Wolf smiled. “You are learning to be a good leader,” he said. “If you think you can get horses for us, I am willing that you try.” Little Eagle whirled around to leave camp. Before he had gone a dozen steps, he turned back to Angry Wolf. “How would you take the horses?” he asked. “You have had more lessons from our teacher than I have had.” “First I would make a scouting trip to be sure that the Pawnees will be hunting long enough for us to get a safe start before they discover the loss of their horses,” Angry Wolf answered thoughtfully. “When I had the horses, I’d ride straight here.” A confident smile touched the corners of Little Eagle’s mouth. “I will get the horses,” he vowed. “From here we’ll leave a crooked trail,” Angry Wolf said with equal confidence. |
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