He went on until he was gasping for breath. Although it seemed that he had been struggling under that weight for a long time, Little Eagle knew he had gone only a few paces from the trail. But he could go no farther. As gently as possible, he lowered Angry Wolf to the ground. Again he bent over Angry Wolf, and again he was relieved to find that the boy still breathed.
The only plan which occurred to Little Eagle seemed to have small chance of succeeding, but it was better than not trying at all. He picked up a small branch. Holding this in both hands, he walked backward, brushing the limb back and forth across his trail. It wasn’t a good job of erasing his tracks, but it might keep the Crows from finding them until after daylight.
When Little Eagle reached the place where Angry Wolf had fallen, he stretched out on the ground. He heard a triumphant yell which meant that the Crows had caught the horse. They soon would be coming back. Little Eagle was careful to make plain marks to make it appear that Angry Wolf had struggled to his feet. He started from the trail in the direction opposite to that in which he had taken Angry Wolf. He took as long strides as he could, and at first, staggered about. He wanted to convince the Crows that they were following the trail of a wounded warrior.
He had gone only a short distance when he heard the sounds of the Crows returning. He began to go faster. Whenever he neared a clump of brush, he went directly toward it. He knew the Crows would stop and send warriors to surround the clump before they went near it. They would take no chance of having a wounded warrior ambush them. Each of these delays would give him a chance to lead them farther from Angry Wolf before he himself was captured.
Little Eagle heard an angry yip. The Crows had returned and found that the enemy, whom they had supposed slain, had slipped away. Little Eagle increased his speed. It wouldn’t be long until the Crows found his trail and came in pursuit. He knew they would come slowly. They were sure that the enemy they were pursuing was badly wounded. They wouldn’t be afraid the enemy would escape. Their only fear would be that he might ambush them.
A series of short, sharp yells told him that they had found his trail. He could almost see them following it. A couple of trackers on foot would follow the trail. Mounted warriors would ride at each side of the trackers and behind them. The riders would turn aside to surround each of the clumps of brush toward which he had made his trail.
When he started, Little Eagle’s one plan had been to lead the Crows away from Angry Wolf. As he realized that he was getting farther away from his pursuers, he began to change the plan. There was a small hope that he might escape and get back to Angry Wolf. His hand brushed against the bag of poultice Clawing Bear had tied at his belt. If he could get back to Angry Wolf, there might be a chance to save the wounded boy’s life.
Little Eagle had thought he was going as fast as it was possible for him to go. As the hope of saving Angry Wolf’s life grew, he somehow managed to go faster. He heard the gurgle of running water ahead of him. When he pushed through a clump of small trees, he saw the stream. He knew this was the creek that twisted among the low hills near the Crow camp.
Little Eagle saw that he could take a short run and jump across the creek. He ran as though this were his plan, but he shortened his leap and landed in the water. He stopped to listen. He had gained so much on his pursuers that he could hardly hear them. He smiled to himself when he remembered something the warrior-teacher had told him.
“When you have to hide from your enemies,” the teacher had said several times, “hide as near them as possible.”
Instead of turning downstream, Little Eagle turned the other way. This route would take him near the Crow camp. Although the water was cold, Little Eagle waded up the stream. There would be no tracks here for the Crows to follow. He was quite near the Crow camp when he heard the warriors yelling behind him. He listened long enough to make sure they had found the place where he had jumped into the creek. He felt certain they would look downstream for him. He climbed out of the stream at a place where the Crows had been bringing their horses to water. Even if the Crows looked for the trail here, it would be lost among the many other tracks.
As soon as he left the water, Little Eagle trotted along the bank until he was many paces past the Crow camp. Here he started a great circle which took him around the camp and back upon the ridge on which he had left Angry Wolf. From the spot where he reached the top of the ridge, he was still a considerable distance from Angry Wolf.
Little Eagle went as cautiously as a warrior would have gone. Although he had heard no more sounds of the Crows, it was still possible that they had found Angry Wolf. If they had, they would be waiting in ambush. Even when he reached a place from where he could see Angry Wolf stretched on the ground, Little Eagle moved slowly, stopping often to look and listen.
At last he was sure there were no Crows near. Little Eagle crawled the remaining distance to Angry Wolf. He gave a grunt of dismay. Angry Wolf had thrown one arm across his chest. Little Eagle could see no sign of the wounded Sioux’s chest rising and falling as it would do if he still breathed. Little Eagle bent forward until his face was almost against Angry Wolf’s mouth. He felt Angry Wolf’s breath blowing faintly against his face. Angry Wolf was still alive.
Little Eagle looked at the deep gash along the side of Angry Wolf’s head. It had been bleeding badly. Even now a trickle of blood was running from the wound. It looked as though Angry Wolf had already lost so much blood that his life couldn’t be saved. But the very first lesson Little Eagle had learned from Clawing Bear was that as long as a person breathed there was hope of saving his life.
Little Eagle opened the pouch at his belt and took the wad of ointment into his hands. He kneaded it with his fingers until it was soft and pliable. If there had been a place near where he could get water, he would have washed the wound before applying the poultice. However, the creek was many dangerous steps away, and there was no time to lose. As gently as possible, Little Eagle spread the soft mass along the wound. He held it in place until the flow of blood completely stopped. He nodded in satisfaction when he took his hand off the poultice and it stayed in place.
Little Eagle bent over Angry Wolf’s face. His friend still breathed. Now there was nothing Little Eagle could do except wait. He could see the sun beginning to build its campfires. Already there was a little light in the sky where the sun would rise. It wouldn’t be long until the Crow warriors returned unless they had ridden straight on to the Sioux camp.
It was almost daylight when Little Eagle heard the Crows returning. He would have liked to jump up and give the Sioux victory cry. If the Crows were returning this soon, they had given up their plan to attack the Sioux camp.
Little Eagle scarcely dared hope that the Crows would fail to find Angry Wolf and himself. He told himself it really didn’t matter. He had saved the rest of the Sioux tribe by outwitting the big party of Crows. Truly he had won a great victory.
Little Eagle was ashamed of the way his hands trembled as the sound of the returning Crows came nearer. He had trouble fitting an arrow to his bow. He heard the Crows stop at the place where Angry Wolf had fallen. Now that it was daylight, the Crows were sure to find the trail he had made when he had dragged Angry Wolf away. He couldn’t fight off the whole Crow party, but he would take some of the Crow warriors with him when he and Angry Wolf went to the Happy Hunting Grounds. He hardly believed his ears when he heard the Crows riding on toward their own camp. They had missed his trail.
Little Eagle warily scouted around. When he returned to Angry Wolf’s side, he was sure that all the Crows had ridden into camp. He noticed that Angry Wolf was feebly running his tongue across his lips. There had been no time for Little Eagle to remember how badly a wounded person needed water. He thought of the long distance to the creek. There was the added danger that at any moment Crow warriors might return to search for them. Yet Angry Wolf must have water.
Little Eagle picked up the bag in which he had carried the poultice. It would hold so little water that it scarcely seemed worth while to take the risk to fill it. Then he remembered the pouch in which Angry Wolf had carried meat. Little Eagle untied it from Angry Wolf’s belt. The two sacks together would hold enough water to do some good.
Little Eagle started directly toward the creek, but when he reached a point opposite the Crow camp, he turned toward it. He crawled to a place where he could look down upon the camp. The warriors were gathered in a circle, talking earnestly together. Little Eagle couldn’t hear their words, but he could tell from their attitude that they were disputing some plan.
He watched the gestures of each warrior who spoke. From the motions they made, Little Eagle learned that the dispute was about the Sioux who had escaped. Most of the warriors seemed to believe that the Sioux had been able to take a message to the Sioux camp. A few warriors made motions to indicate the ground near their own camp. These were the ones who thought the wounded enemy must be hiding near by.
Little Eagle saw that the Crows had reached an agreement, but there was no way for him to tell what the agreement was. When he saw two warriors mount horses and ride up the hill toward him, it looked as though the decision had been made to search near the camp. He was puzzled to see a third warrior come up the hill on foot. The two mounted warriors sent their horses racing along the trail which led to the other Crow camp. The warrior on foot selected a tall tree and started to climb it.
“The riders are going to urge the other camp to hurry away, and the one climbing the tree is to keep watch,” Little Eagle thought to himself.
While the warrior was giving all of his attention to climbing the tree, Little Eagle slipped toward the stream. When he had gone a few steps, he was in a thick growth of trees where there was little danger that the lookout could see him.
When he had the bags filled with water, Little Eagle hesitated. He almost decided to cross the stream and circle the Crow camp again in order to take a safer way back, but the memory of Angry Wolf licking his lips made Little Eagle determine to take the shorter route. He had to walk carefully, avoiding not only twigs which might snap under his feet but also limbs and brush which might shake if he touched them.
When Little Eagle was near the tree the Crow warrior had climbed, he redoubled his caution. At first he couldn’t see the Crow, but when the warrior moved to look in another direction, Little Eagle saw him. Folding and unfolding his fingers, as he had done when he slipped out of his own camp, Little Eagle timed the movements of the Crow lookout. As soon as he knew it was safe, he darted across an open space to the shelter of another clump of bushes.
Here he got to his hands and knees. He crawled forward, making sure that he touched nothing which would move and betray him. As he crawled past the tree, Little Eagle’s heart thumped so wildly that he thought the Crow must surely hear it.
It wasn’t until he had crossed the trail and was in the shelter of the trees on the other side that Little Eagle felt safe. He hurried on to Angry Wolf’s side.
Little Eagle took the smaller bag and let a few drops of water fall on Angry Wolf’s lips. Angry Wolf ran his tongue across his lips and opened his mouth. Little Eagle poured water into Angry Wolf’s mouth. He was vastly relieved when Angry Wolf swallowed without choking.
After Angry Wolf had been given water, he seemed to breathe more strongly. It wasn’t long until he began to lick his lips again. When Little Eagle gave him more water, he swallowed it easily.
As there was nothing more he could do for Angry Wolf for a while, Little Eagle crawled back to the place where he could watch the lookout in the tree and the Crow camp. He had scarcely settled himself in his watching place when the Crow warrior started scrambling down the tree. The moment the warrior touched the ground, he went racing toward the Crow camp.
Little Eagle turned to look at the camp. It was no longer a camp. The tepees had been taken down and loaded onto pack horses. All of the horses were in a close-packed herd, with warriors holding them. As the lookout ran down the hill, he waved at the warriors. Immediately the Crows sprang on their horses and started toward the land-of-the-setting-sun.
One warrior stayed behind, holding his own horse and that of the lookout. As soon as the lookout reached the horses, both warriors mounted and started after the others. There was a puzzled frown on Little Eagle’s face as he watched the Crows. What was the meaning of this sudden flight?
Little Eagle was still looking at the place where the Crows had ridden from sight when he heard more riders coming from the direction of the other Crow camp. He recognized the two leading horses in the band as those he had seen ridden out of camp a short time before. He saw that this band of Crows was the one that had been taking part in the pow-wow. The warriors were riding so hard that Little Eagle was sure there was a band of Sioux in close pursuit.
The Crows dashed down the hill, rode out onto the trail left by the other band, and went on. As soon as the Crows were out of sight, Little Eagle stood up to look back in the direction from which the Crows had come. Every moment he expected to see a party of Sioux warriors dash toward him. The Crows had been so anxious to get away that it seemed certain someone was pursuing them.
Little Eagle waited eagerly, but there was no sign of his friends. At last he thought to do what he should have done earlier. He stretched out on the ground and put his ear down. He could hear no sound of hoofbeats. The Crows had ridden so far that he couldn’t hear them, nor could he hear any sound of approaching Sioux. Disappointedly, he turned back toward Angry Wolf.
When he reached Angry Wolf, Little Eagle had to bend over the wounded Sioux to make sure he still breathed. He gave Angry Wolf more water and then sat down to try to make a plan. When he had seen the Crows fleeing so hurriedly, he had been sure that Sioux were close behind them. He could have stopped the Sioux and someone would have gone to get Clawing Bear to help take care of Angry Wolf. But now he knew the Sioux weren’t coming. If Angry Wolf’s life was to be saved, he must have help. But how could he get help?
Little Eagle bent over to look at the poultice on Angry Wolf’s wound. He was dismayed to see that a few drops of blood were seeping through the poultice. It should be replaced with a new one, but Little Eagle had used all of his material. He knew then that his only chance to save Angry Wolf was to go to the Sioux camp and get Clawing Bear to help.
Little Eagle immediately began preparations for his trip. He raked up leaves which he put over Angry Wolf, leaving only his face uncovered. If anyone should chance to come that way, he wouldn’t be likely to see the wounded Sioux. The leaves would protect Angry Wolf from the chill too, if Little Eagle didn’t get back before sundown.
Little Eagle followed the trail which the Crows had made between their two camps. In spite of the need to go swiftly, he held himself to the pace he had been taught. Although it seemed to be taking him a long time to make the journey, he was encouraged by the thought that there would be horses at the Sioux camp. He and Clawing Bear could make the return trip quickly.
As he trotted along the trail, Little Eagle kept a constant watch ahead. It was unlikely that the Crows had left scouts behind, but there was danger that other enemies might be near. There was always the possibility that a band of Pawnees would be hunting on land which belonged to the Sioux.
Going through the valley where the Crow camp had been pitched, Little Eagle looked about without slackening his pace. He saw many signs that the Crows had left hurriedly. They had left several pieces of camp gear behind. Little Eagle noticed one fine cooking pot which he would have liked to take, but he passed it.
By the time he reached the hillside where he had hidden to rest when he left the Sioux camp, Little Eagle was growing alarmed. Thus far he had seen no spirals of smoke or other signs which ought to have been coming from camp. He should have met Sioux scouts. Surely the chiefs would have sent scouts out to watch the Crows when they failed to return to the powwow. Or, if yesterday’s powwow had ended in a quarrel, there would be Sioux scouts out to make sure that the Crows didn’t try a surprise attack.
The nearer Little Eagle came to the camping place, the greater grew his fears. For the first time since he had seen the Crow warriors come back to their own camp at daybreak, he became afraid that they had managed to carry out a successful raid.
As he trotted up the hill, Little Eagle thought back to the actions of the Crows. He was sure they had spent considerable time following the trail he had made to lead them away from Angry Wolf. None of the returning Crow warriors had had new scalps at their belts. They had acted much more like defeated warriors than like ones who had carried out a successful raid. Even though he thought of all those things, Little Eagle dreaded the moment when he would look down onto the Sioux camp.
When he reached the top of the hill, Little Eagle saw that the camp was gone. Not a tepee was in sight. His fears gave way to a feeling of triumph when he saw there were no signs of fighting. The tribe had escaped.
When he studied the camping place, he found as many signs of hasty breaking of camp as there had been at the Crow camping place. Little Eagle easily found the trail which led toward the north. The tribe was headed toward the Sioux winter camping grounds.
Little Eagle raised his bow above his head and gave a shout of triumph. Here was proof that he and Angry Wolf had succeeded. In some way, what they had done had warned the Sioux that the Crows were planning treachery and they had escaped. The feeling of triumph faded quickly. How could he alone save Angry Wolf’s life?
Little Eagle walked slowly along the trail left by the fleeing tribe. Someone should have left a message for Angry Wolf and him. There should be pointers to tell them where they could join the party and other marks to show how to signal for help, but he couldn’t find any. There were many signs to show that the party had gone swiftly. Little Eagle knew there was no hope he could overtake it on foot. He tried to hide from himself his fears and disappointment as he turned to go back to Angry Wolf.
He had scarcely taken a dozen steps on the return trip when he thought of Clawing Bear. The other Sioux might be convinced that he and Angry Wolf had fallen to the Crows, but Clawing Bear would have hope that they would escape. The medicine man wouldn’t leave without hiding a message for them. Little Eagle turned back to the place where Clawing Bear’s tepee had stood.
He found the message at once. There were only a few piles of stones and sticks, but Little Eagle easily read the story they told.
When it had been learned that both Angry Wolf and he had slipped through the line of dog soldiers, there had been great anger in camp. When they didn’t return after nightfall, the best dog soldier scouts had been sent to find them. Some of these scouts had come upon hidden Crows. They had looked down on the first Crow camp and seen the preparations for an attack. As soon as most of the scouts reported back to camp, the chiefs had ordered the tribe to move.
“That’s why the Crows were fleeing,” Little Eagle said aloud. “Their scouts found our camp abandoned. They were afraid this party would circle to cut them off and at the same time send for help. They were afraid they would be caught in the same sort of trap they set for us.”
After he had read the message, Little Eagle looked farther. He found the sign pointing to the cache. Clawing Bear had hidden the sign well. That meant that whatever was hidden was so valuable Clawing Bear didn’t want it to fall into enemy hands.
Little Eagle had to do considerable searching before he found the hiding place. Clawing Bear had so cleverly put the dirt back into the place that it was almost impossible to find. Little Eagle dug the dirt loose with a pointed stick and scooped it out with his hands. The stick struck something solid. When Little Eagle scooped away the dirt, he found a cooking bowl turned upside down. As soon as he lifted the bowl, he saw the leather bag. He was trembling with excitement when he picked up the bag. He unwrapped one of the small packages it contained. It was a package of powdered herbs used in making the poultice.
Little Eagle didn’t need to open the other packages to know that they contained the other necessary materials. Truly Clawing Bear was a great medicine man. In some mysterious way he had learned that Little Eagle would need these things.
Little Eagle glanced up at the sky. The sun was almost straight overhead. He had been gone a long time. Now that he had the things to cure Angry Wolf, it was important that he get back as soon as possible.
Little Eagle tied the leather bag to his belt. He stooped down to pick up the cooking bowl, but changed his mind. He would take the larger one he had seen abandoned in the Crow camp.
As he hurried back toward Angry Wolf, all kinds of fears tormented Little Eagle. Without water, Angry Wolf might not still be alive. Some enemy might have passed that way and found him. Little Eagle used all of his will power to hold a reasonable pace. He reminded himself that if he became exhausted, there would be no one to care for Angry Wolf.
When he went through the valley where the Crow camp had been, Little Eagle stopped only long enough to pick up the cooking pot. By the time he reached the hill on which he had left Angry Wolf, he was so tired that he had to drive himself to keep going. Yet, when he knelt beside Angry Wolf and saw that the wounded boy still breathed, he forgot his weariness.
As soon as he had given Angry Wolf a drink of water, Little Eagle started to build a fire. He knew it would be dangerous. It would lead any passing enemy to them. Still he must cook the poultice to put on Angry Wolf’s wound. To make the danger as small as possible, he selected dry, hard sticks for the fire. These would give off little smoke and would soon burn to a bed of glowing embers.
When he had the fire going, Little Eagle poured some of the water into the bowl. He set the bowl on the fire. While the water was heating, Little Eagle took the packages from the bag. He found a packet of bear’s grease and laid it close at hand.
As soon as the water was boiling, Little Eagle used two sticks as tongs and picked the bowl from the fire. He moved the sticks so as to slosh the water around in the bowl. When he had cleaned the bowl as much as possible, he dumped the dirty water out. He rinsed the bowl with the water that was left in the bag before he set it back on the fire.
Little Eagle dropped some bear’s grease into the bowl. While he was waiting for it to melt, he examined the poultice on Angry Wolf’s head. Although blood was seeping around the edges, the poultice seemed to be firmly in place. He would need water to soak it so he could remove it.
Little Eagle took the two bags and started toward the stream. He was so tired that the journey seemed longer than the trip he had made back to the Sioux camping place. It was fortunate for him that there were no enemies about. He couldn’t arouse himself enough to take care. Several times he stepped on twigs which snapped loudly.
Back at the fire, Little Eagle picked up a small stick. He poured portions of the powdered herbs from each package into the bowl, stirring all the time with the stick. He stirred the mixture until it started to bubble. Then he picked the bowl from the fire, using the same sticks for tongs that he had used before.
While the mixture was cooling, Little Eagle took one of the bags of water. He let water drip from it onto the poultice on Angry Wolf’s wound. The water washed the blood away from the edges of the wound, but it didn’t soften the poultice. Little Eagle squatted beside Angry Wolf and carefully thought back over the lessons Clawing Bear had taught him. Clawing Bear’s words finally came back to him.
“The poultice will fall off when the wound is cured,” the medicine man had said. “If the wound starts to bleed again, put a new poultice over the old one.”
Little Eagle was almost cheerful as he went back to the bowl. The mixture had cooled enough so that he could dip it up in his hands. He kneaded it with his fingers until it was soft and pliable. He spread it over the old poultice, making sure that the edges were tight against the skin so that there was no blood seeping from the wound.
“Thank you, Clawing Bear,” Little Eagle said aloud, when he saw that the wound was no longer bleeding.
It wasn’t until he had finished caring for Angry Wolf that Little Eagle realized how hungry he was. He had eaten nothing since he and Angry Wolf had shared that small piece of meat the evening before. The thought of venison steak made his mouth water. He had seen the place where deer came to the stream to drink. However, he was afraid to leave Angry Wolf long enough to stalk a deer. Tonight some small game—a rabbit or a squirrel—would have to do.
Little Eagle picked up his bow and arrow. He remembered that the water sacks were empty, so he tied them to his belt. He had seen squirrels in some of the trees between here and the creek. He kept watch of the trees as he walked along. When he saw a pair of squirrels running along the limb of a tree, he stopped. Slowly he brought his bow up. The moment one of the squirrels stopped, Little Eagle let an arrow fly. He grinned to himself as the squirrel dropped from the tree with an arrow through its head. Perhaps the next time he was in a shooting match he would win a prize.
At the creek Little Eagle filled the water bags. He skinned and dressed the squirrel and washed it in the stream.
When he returned to Angry Wolf, Little Eagle put water into the cooking bowl and set it on the fire. He cut the squirrel into small pieces and dropped them into the bowl. As the first tantalizing odors of cooking meat rose from the bowl, he was tempted to take one of the pieces and eat it before it was done. To keep himself busy while the meat was cooking, he found a small stick. He pulled the bark from it and scraped off the loose fiber.
He waited until he was sure the meat was thoroughly cooked before he lifted the bowl from the fire. He set the steaming bowl close to Angry Wolf. Little Eagle dipped the stick into the bowl, then held it so the broth dropped onto Angry Wolf’s lips. Angry Wolf opened his mouth and swallowed the drops hungrily. Patiently, Little Eagle dipped the stick into the broth and let the broth fall into Angry Wolf’s mouth.
When he had given Angry Wolf all of the broth he could dip out with the stick, Little Eagle ate the meat. By the time he had finished, the sun was down. Already the air was becoming chilly. He considered building the fire up so that Angry Wolf would be kept warm. Because a fire could be seen a long distance at night, he decided against that plan. He covered the fire with dirt. In order to keep Angry Wolf as warm as possible, Little Eagle gathered more leaves and dumped them over the wounded Sioux.
Little Eagle gathered a smaller pile of leaves for himself. It was scarcely dark when he snuggled down into the leaves. He fell asleep while he was still trying to get into a more comfortable position.
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.”