their warriors from the fierce and warlike Blackfeet.

Sun Bird asked White Otter to ride with him at the head of the company. The youthful Minneconjoux war leader fully realized his responsibility, and he was glad to have the aid and counsel of the famous young war chief whom he had asked to accompany him.

The war party was not a large one. It contained less than a third of the fighting men of the tribe. The Minneconjoux feared to send a larger force from the village, for they knew that their old enemies, the Crows, as well as several scouting parties of Blackfeet, had recently been seen within a day's travel of the Minneconjoux camp. They determined, therefore, to send a small force of picked warriors against the Blackfeet in the hope of recovering the stolen ponies, and learning the fate of the young Minneconjoux who had been carried away. The company chosen for the perilous undertaking was composed mostly of young warriors famous for their courage and fighting ability, and a few older veterans, like Lean Wolf and Sitting Eagle, whose mature judgment would check the reckless impetuosity of their younger companions.

"Well, my brother, how do you feel about this thing?" Sun Bird suddenly asked White Otter, as they cantered along in advance of the war party.

"The Blackfeet are very strong," White Otter replied, thoughtfully. "Wolf Robe, my grandfather, has told me about them. I have never fought those people. Wolf Robe says that they are braver than the Pawnees. Do you know about them?"

"Yes, I have fought against them many times," Sun Bird told him. "They are the enemies of my people. They are brave. Many Buffaloes is their chief. He is a great warrior. He rides a mysterious war pony. It is as swift as the wind, and as black as the night. Its eyes shine like the little lights up there in the High Place. My people believe it must be a Medicine Pony. Curly Horse would give many good presents for that pony."

At that moment their talk was interrupted by the appearance of a golden eagle, the war bird of the Dacotahs, which was circling slowly some distance toward the north. The superstitious Minneconjoux immediately accepted it as a good omen, as they recalled the words of Curly Horse, their chief.

"See, there is Huya, the great war bird," they cried. "Curly Horse has sent him to lead us to the Blackfeet camp. Come, Huya, our brother, look about you, and show us where our enemies are hiding."

The eagle, however, soon disappeared into the clouds, and the Minneconjoux cried, "Huya has gone up there to look around. He is looking for the Blackfeet. When he sees them he will fly over them, and show us where they are."

As they moved farther from the camp Sun Bird began to take precautions against the possibility of encountering foes. Two scouts were detailed on either flank of the war party, and other riders dropped back to guard the rear. Sun Bird, White Otter and Little Raven rode some distance in front. Thus the courageous band of Dacotahs made their way across the great plain that extended for unknown leagues into the northward, the stronghold of the mighty Blackfeet nation.

The day was two thirds gone when White Otter suddenly discovered a horseman on the summit of a low ridge far away toward the west. He immediately stopped and showed him to Sun Bird and Little Raven. Apparently aware that he had been seen, the distant rider began to ride rapidly in a circle. It was the signal for danger. Sun Bird appeared alarmed.

"It is one of our scouts," he said, uneasily. "Running Dog and Lean Wolf went that way. That man is far away, but I believe he is Lean Wolf. He has seen something bad. Come, Little Raven, go and find out about it."

As Little Raven raced away to meet the scout, the main company of riders came up. They, too, had discovered the rider on the ridge, and many of them were eager to go over there in the hope of finding foes.

"No, that would be foolish," Sun Bird said, firmly. "We will wait here until Little Raven comes back and tells us about it. That scout has not called us. He is telling us that he has seen something. See, Little Raven is a long ways off. Pretty soon we will know about this thing. We must wait."

"It is the only thing to do," agreed the famous warrior, Sitting Eagle.

They watched anxiously as the scout turned his pony down the ridge, and rode to meet Little Raven. The distance made positive identification difficult, but most of them agreed that it was Lean Wolf. When the two riders finally met, the members of the war party watched them with breathless interest. They also watched the plain in all directions for the sudden appearance of foes. Then the warriors who had been loitering in the rear overtook them.

"What has happened?" they inquired anxiously. "Who is over there?"

"Lean Wolf has made the danger signal," explained their comrades. "Little Raven has gone over to find out about it. Did you see anything?"

"We saw some wolves," replied the scouts.