  As he rode east, Little Eagle felt more and more uneasy. This plan of his might not be so good. If the Crows guessed that it was Sioux and not Pawnees they were chasing, they would take a more direct route. Or they might send one party to follow the trail and the other to take a shorter route. It might well be that his plan would actually make it easier for the Crows to catch them. Little Eagle felt easier in his mind when he turned north. As the eastern sky began to light up, he felt still better. He and Angry Wolf had come a long way from the Crow camp. It might be that the Crows hadn’t yet learned of their loss. As the sun came up, Little Eagle called a halt. He noticed Angry Wolf’s anxious look as the horses scattered to graze. Little Eagle unwrapped the last of their supply of meat. “For our next meal we’ll have buffalo meat,” he said, trying to rouse Angry Wolf from his gloom. “If the Crows catch us, we won’t have a next meal,” Angry Wolf answered. “The Crows won’t catch us,” Little Eagle insisted. “We took the horses easily, just as the mud swallow in my dream told me we could.” “We did,” Angry Wolf agreed. “But the swallow didn’t show you how we were to escape after we had the horses.” Little Eagle frowned. A short time ago Angry Wolf had been full of confidence. He had wanted to sing the Victory Song. Now he was sure that they couldn’t succeed. It was true that his dream had ended without the swallow showing him how to escape with the horses. Suddenly Little Eagle’s frown changed to a smile of relief. “The mud swallow is an enemy of the Crows,” Little Eagle reminded his friend. “He won’t let them catch us.” “I hope you’re right,” Angry Wolf replied doubtfully. “Anyway I think we should sleep before we start on. We need rest.” Little Eagle wondered if Angry Wolf’s plan was good. The Crows would soon be on their trail. Every step he and Angry Wolf went now would be another step away from their enemies. If the Crows started while he and Angry Wolf slept, they would be cutting down the distance between them. But they did need the rest. Besides, Angry Wolf should make some of the decisions. He stretched out on the ground and fell asleep. Little Eagle sat up sleepily when Angry Wolf touched his arm. He felt as though he had just closed his eyes, yet when he looked to the east, he saw the sun high above the hills. “We must start,” Angry Wolf urged. It took the two of them a long time to catch horses to ride and drive the others into a herd. When they were ready to start, Little Eagle again took the lead. They had trouble keeping the herd moving fast. Sometimes the horses would trot, but most of the time they plodded along at a walk. Often one of the horses tried to turn back. Angry Wolf had to be constantly alert. When the sun was straight overhead, Little Eagle didn’t stop for their usual rest. He did signal for Angry Wolf to take the lead, and he rode behind the horses. Whenever they crossed a hill, Little Eagle stopped to look back. As the day wore on and he saw no signs of Crows, he began to feel more confident. It was nearly dark by the time they stopped beside a small stream. Little Eagle felt almost safe. He was even more encouraged by Angry Wolf’s growing cheerfulness. “We seem to have escaped,” Angry Wolf said. “You could hunt for fresh meat while I build a fire,” Little Eagle suggested, hoping that by keeping Angry Wolf busy, he could keep him in good spirits. Angry Wolf was gone only a short time. He came back with one rabbit. “It’s too dark to hunt,” Angry Wolf said gloomily. “I’m so hungry that rabbit will taste as good as roasted buffalo tongue,” Little Eagle assured him. As soon as the rabbit was cooked, Little Eagle covered the fire with dirt. “There’s no need to give the Crows a signal if they are following us,” he said. Little Eagle was glad that there were no clouds in the sky. Since he had left the deer hide for the swallows, they had no cover. As long as there was no snow or rain, he and Angry Wolf could sleep comfortably by burrowing into a pile of leaves. When Little Eagle awoke the next morning, he felt like jumping and shouting. It seemed that he ought to dance the Victory Dance. He and Angry Wolf had escaped the Crows. The horses they had taken were proof of a great victory. Because Angry Wolf was already rounding up the horses, Little Eagle delayed his celebration. He hurried to help the other boy. “I’ll try to get a buffalo,” Angry Wolf said when they had the horses driven together in a herd. “While you’re hunting, I’ll ride back to the top of the first hill,” Little Eagle told him. “From there I can see a long way. If there are no Crows in sight, we can feel safe.” Little Eagle would much rather have gone with Angry Wolf to hunt buffaloes. It was almost certain that they had escaped the Crows. Yet he had been taught that a warrior must always guard against surprise. The hill rose to a high, pointed peak. Little Eagle rode half way up it. Here he dismounted. He crept up the last few paces to the top as carefully as though he expected to see Crows coming up the other side. He took a long time to study the trail. Nothing moved along it. At last he returned to his horse, mounted, and rode back to camp. Little Eagle had been in camp only a short time when Angry Wolf rode in, carrying a piece of buffalo meat. Angry Wolf rode triumphantly. All of his gloom of the evening before was gone. “We’ll bring in the rest of the buffalo meat as soon as we have eaten,” he said cheerfully. “We have done well,” Little Eagle said. “Well!” Angry Wolf exclaimed. “We have won victories over the Pawnees and Crows. Hunting has been good. We ought to sing the Victory Song.” Only a short time ago, Little Eagle had thought they should sing the Victory Song. Now, as Angry Wolf became surer that they had escaped, Little Eagle began to feel new doubts. “We’d better wait another day,” he said. “I think we have escaped the Crows, but surely after one more day there can be no doubt.” Angry Wolf didn’t act greatly disappointed. He seemed to feel that one more day before they sang the Victory Song would make little difference. Before they started on, Little Eagle helped Angry Wolf bring in the rest of the buffalo meat. They cut the buffalo hide into two pieces. They placed the meat on the pieces of hide, then wrapped the hide around the meat so that each piece of hide made a big bundle. They tied the two bundles on one of the horses. This time Angry Wolf led the way, while Little Eagle rode behind to keep the herd moving. The prairie here was different from that they had been crossing. The hills were higher and closer together. It seemed to Little Eagle that they were always either going up a hill or down one. He was glad that they seemed to be safely away from the Crows. Here a party of enemies might have ridden close before he or Angry Wolf discovered them. All morning they seldom saw a tree. They crossed a few spring-fed streams, but even beside these there was hardly ever a tree. Little Eagle and Angry Wolf continually traded places so that part of the time Little Eagle rode ahead and led the way, while at other times he rode behind. About the middle of the afternoon he was riding behind. The horses had given so little trouble that he paid them scant attention. He was humming the Victory Song under his breath when, for some reason, he glanced back. A lone Crow warrior was charging toward him! Little Eagle acted swiftly. He shouted a warning to Angry Wolf and at the same time jabbed his right knee against his horse’s side to whirl it around to face the Crow. As his horse whirled, Little Eagle brought up his bow. There was no time to take aim. The Crow was almost upon him. Little Eagle let his arrow fly just as the Crow’s arrow struck him. Little Eagle felt a cutting, tearing pain in his right arm or shoulder, and the force of the arrow almost tore him from his horse. He clutched the horse’s mane to keep from falling. In a half daze Little Eagle realized that he had dropped his own bow. He heard the pound of hoofs as the Crow circled and came back. Little Eagle tried to sit erectly on his horse. He could do nothing to defend himself, but he would meet death like a Sioux warrior. The Crow swept past without taking another shot. It was then that Little Eagle saw the Crow had been struck with an arrow too. Angry Wolf dashed past in pursuit of the Crow, but he couldn’t get near the wounded warrior. He fired two arrows, but both of them went wide of the mark. Little Eagle dimly realized that Angry Wolf pulled his horse to a stop at the top of the hill. Little Eagle didn’t know how long Angry Wolf was gone. He felt himself falling. He braced himself with the hand that held the horse’s mane and fought against the darkness that was closing in on him. The wave of darkness passed, and Little Eagle was still on his horse. When he felt stronger, Little Eagle took his hand from his horse’s mane and felt of the wound. His fingers touched a shaft of wood. The arrow was stuck in his arm. The head had gone through the flesh, but the shaft hadn’t. Little Eagle felt the darkness closing in again, but he fought it off. It took a long time for Little Eagle to get up enough courage to try to pull the arrow out. When he reached for it, he heard a horse approaching. He looked up and saw Angry Wolf returning. “I thought the Crow’s arrow had killed you,” Angry Wolf said as he came near Little Eagle. Angry Wolf’s eyes widened, and a look of fear came into them when he saw the arrow stuck through Little Eagle’s arm and the blood running down from the wound. “Help me off my horse,” Little Eagle ordered. Angry Wolf jumped from his horse to obey. Little Eagle clamped his teeth together. He held out his good hand to Angry Wolf. With the other boy’s help he got off his horse. “You’ll have to take the arrow out of my wound,” he told Angry Wolf. Angry Wolf looked at the arrow. His face was drawn and he was gritting his teeth. “How can I get it out?” he asked. “Take a careful hold of it with both hands,” Little Eagle answered. “Snap it in two and pull the rest out.” Little Eagle took a deep breath as Angry Wolf took hold of the arrow. He felt a stab of hot pain as Angry Wolf broke the arrow. In spite of himself, Little Eagle gasped as Angry Wolf drew the rest of the arrow from the wound. Little Eagle kept his head turned aside until he was able to smile. When he looked toward his friend, he saw that Angry Wolf’s face had the same sickly color it had had when he had been wounded. “Did a Crow arrow hit you too?” Little Eagle demanded. Angry Wolf shook his head. “I was afraid the Crow’s arrow had taken you to the Happy Hunting Grounds,” he replied. Then, as though afraid he had shown too much feeling, Angry Wolf spoke sharply. “Tell me how to take care of your wound,” he snapped. “You have studied under Clawing Bear.” Little Eagle forced himself to look at his wound. It was a ragged hole, and blood was oozing down both sides of his arm. “I have the material for another poultice,” he answered. “But it must be cooked. There is no fuel here.” Angry Wolf looked around. There was grass that he could gather and twist into knots. Although it would be slow work, they could build a cooking fire with it. He raised his eyes and looked ahead. As far ahead as he could see, the prairie looked the same. Yet it might not be far to a stream that had trees growing beside it. That would be a safer place to camp than this open ground. “Can you ride?” Angry Wolf asked, turning toward Little Eagle. “Of course,” Little Eagle answered. Little Eagle spoke stoutly, but when he tried to mount his horse, he wasn’t able. He had to have Angry Wolf’s help. “You ride in front,” Angry Wolf directed. “Go as straight north as you can.” A new thought suddenly struck Little Eagle. “Did the Crow get away?” he asked. “He was still on his horse when it went out of sight,” Angry Wolf answered. “But your arrow has wounded him badly. I don’t think he will get back to the Crow camp.” “There might be other Crows near who would come to avenge him,” Little Eagle pointed out. “There are no other Crows near,” Angry Wolf answered positively. “If there had been, they would have joined in the attack on us.” Little Eagle nodded. No warrior would have been foolish enough to make an attack alone when other warriors were near who could help him. He turned his horse and started off. At first Little Eagle was able to ride without too much trouble. It wasn’t long, though, until the journey became a torture. The wound in his arm made his whole body hurt. He had lost so much blood that he was weak and lightheaded. It took all of his remaining strength to stay on his horse. Weary step after weary step he held on, but at last he could hold on no longer. He slid from his horse. Although Little Eagle didn’t know about it, Angry Wolf lifted him onto his own horse. He mounted behind Little Eagle and held him. Angry Wolf rode off without a look at the herd of horses. He hoped they would follow, but if they didn’t, it couldn’t be helped. He added the powdered herbs and the bear’s grease There was still daylight when Angry Wolf sighted trees ahead. Before he reached the grove of trees, he saw that they were growing along a stream. When he reached the grove, he gently lifted Little Eagle to the ground. He dug the bowl from one of the packs and filled it at the stream. He held the bowl to Little Eagle’s lips. Little Eagle opened his eyes and drank. Angry Wolf smiled briefly. “I’ll build a fire,” Angry Wolf told him. “You will tell me how to fix the poultice.” Little Eagle didn’t try to answer. He lay back with his eyes closed. When Angry Wolf stepped over to tell him the fire was ready, Little Eagle opened his eyes. “Lift me up,” Little Eagle ordered. “I’ll help you make the poultice.” Angry Wolf opened the sack which contained the material for the poultice. Under Little Eagle’s direction, he added the powdered herbs and the bear’s grease and stirred them until the poultice was cooked. He set it off the fire and waited until it cooled enough so that he could handle it. Little Eagle helped him press the poultice over the wound. Both boys looked anxiously to the south as they heard the sound of approaching horses. They exchanged pleased smiles when they saw the horses they had taken from the Crows come to the stream. All of the horses, except the one with packs, drank at the stream. Angry Wolf quickly took the packs off the other horse so that it could join the herd. Angry Wolf sliced steaks from the buffalo meat and cooked them over the fire. When they were done, he fed Little Eagle before he ate any himself. When he had eaten, Little Eagle had Angry Wolf help him lie down. He fell asleep almost as soon as his head touched the ground. Several times the pain in his shoulder awakened him. However, toward morning he fell into a deep sleep. He awoke with a throbbing pain in his shoulder, but he felt surprisingly strong. He sat up carefully. Angry Wolf, who had been cooking meat, rushed anxiously to Little Eagle’s side. “I am better,” Little Eagle assured him. Little Eagle got slowly to his feet. Although he felt weak, he managed to walk to the stream. He felt better after he had washed himself and had drunk of the clear water. “We should sing the Victory Song as soon as your arm is healed,” Angry Wolf suggested, as they were eating the meat he had cooked. “Let’s wait until we reach winter camp,” Little Eagle said. “Other times we thought that we had escaped the Crows, and we were ready to sing the Victory Song, yet that one warrior was following.” “He was the last,” Angry Wolf said confidently. “But you have proved yourself a good leader. We shall wait until you are ready to sing the Victory Song.” “You said that warrior was wounded by my arrow,” Little Eagle said. “Are you sure?” “Yes,” Angry Wolf replied. “The Crow was wounded when he rode toward me. I didn’t get close enough to him to get a shot.” “How did I get my bow back?” Little Eagle asked. “I seem to remember dropping it when I was hit by the arrow.” “I picked it up,” Angry Wolf explained. All day Little Eagle was restless. Several times he wanted to suggest that they go on. The Crows were bitter enemies. It might well be that when the warrior didn’t return, they’d send a party to search for him. When they found him, they would look for their enemies so that they could take revenge. Angry Wolf seemed to feel that it was safe to rest in camp. He did mount one of the horses and ride a scouting trip around the camp. When he returned, he stretched out on the ground and slept. “Shall we start in the morning?” Little Eagle asked as they were eating that evening. “Don’t you think we should stay here another day so there will be no danger of reopening your wound?” Angry Wolf suggested. Little Eagle nodded reluctant agreement. His arm still throbbed painfully. He had used the last of his material to make the poultice for this wound. It would be better to make sure the wound was healed before they started. The one day became two. Both days dragged slowly for Little Eagle. Much of the time he was thinking of Clawing Bear and the many things yet to be learned from the medicine man. Late in the afternoon of the second day, Little Eagle picked up his bow and shot a few arrows at a slender sapling. He couldn’t draw the bow as well as he had before, but it seemed good to be able to use it at all. “We can start tomorrow,” Angry Wolf said with a smile, as he watched Little Eagle. That night they had a feast of buffalo meat. Angry Wolf cooked all that they could eat. When they had had enough, he put a small piece aside to cook for their morning meal. The rest he made into packs to be put on one of the horses. “It still seems strange to me that the Crows haven’t sent a war party to catch us,” Little Eagle told his friend. “We are far into Sioux land,” Angry Wolf replied. “They are afraid to come this far.” “They would know that most of our people are in winter camp by this time,” Little Eagle pointed out. “They would be in little danger of meeting one of our war parties.” “Perhaps they’re still chasing the Pawnees,” Angry Wolf suggested. “It is more likely that by this time they know it was two Sioux boys who took their horses,” Little Eagle answered. “We must have left signs that told—” Little Eagle had been looking into the fire. He stopped speaking when he seemed to see a party of Crows riding in the fire just as he had seen them in Clawing Bear’s fire. Angry Wolf gave him a surprised look and then bent forward to look into the fire too. “What do you see in the fire?” Angry Wolf demanded. As Angry Wolf spoke, the Crows disappeared in the coals. “I saw a party of Crows riding hard,” Little Eagle replied. “It is the same sign I saw in Clawing Bear’s fire.” “Which direction were they riding?” Angry Wolf asked. “I don’t know,” Little Eagle answered. “When you spoke, they disappeared.” “Couldn’t it be a sign that they have given up and are riding toward their own winter camp?” Angry Wolf suggested. Little Eagle looked thoughtfully into the fire. What Angry Wolf had suggested might be right, but he knew at once that it wasn’t. The other time he had seen the Crows in the flames, it had been a warning. This must be a warning too. “It is a sign that the Crows are still chasing us,” Little Eagle insisted. As he spoke, Little Eagle glanced at his friend. He saw the doubt in Angry Wolf’s eyes. The look of doubt slowly faded. “You have studied with a great medicine man,” Angry Wolf said. “You may have misread this sign, but we must make sure. Before we start in the morning, I will make a scouting trip far back on our old trail. If the Crows are on it, we must know.” |
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