penetrated everything. They understood the movements of their foes,
for they were of kindred nature with their own.

Their buffalo-meat was almost gone, and it was dangerous to kill game
now for fear of attracting the ravens, which would circle overhead and
be seen from the camp. These might attract an investigation from idle
and adventurous boys and betray them.

"Go now; your time has come," said the little brown bat on White Otter's
scalp-lock.

"Go now," echoed Red Arrow's charm.

When nothing was to be seen of the land but the twinkle of the fires
in the camp, they were lying in a deep washout under a bluff, which
overlooked the hostile camp. Long and silently they sat watching the
fires and the people moving about, hearing their hum and chanting as it
came to them on the still air, together with the barking of dogs, the
nickering of ponies, and the hollow pounding on a log made by old squaws
hacking with their hatchets.

Slowly before the drowse of darkness, the noises quieted and the fires
died down. Red Arrow felt his potent symbols whispering to him.

"My medicine is telling me what to do, White Otter."

"What does it say?"

"It says that there is a dangerous mystery in the blue-and-yellow tepee
at the head of the village. It tells me to have great care," replied Red
Arrow.

"Hough, my medicine says go on; I am to be a great warrior," replied
White Otter.

After a moment Red Arrow exclaimed: "My medicine says go with White
Otter, and do what he says. It is good."

"Come, then; we will take the war-ponies from beside the blue-and-yellow
tepee. They belong to a chief and are good. We will strike an Absaroke
if we can. Come with me." White Otter then glided forward in the
darkness toward the camp. When quite near, they waited for a time to
allow the dogs to be still, and when they ceased to tongue, they again
approached with greater caution.

Slowly, so as not to disturb the animals of the Indians, they neared the
blue-and-yellow tepee, squatting low to measure its gloom against the
sky-line. They were among the picketed ponies, and felt them all over
carefully with their hands. They found the clip-maned war-ponies and cut
the ropes. The Indian dogs made no trouble, as they walked their booty
very slowly and very quietly away, as though they wandered in search of
food. When well out of hearing, they sprang on their backs and circled
back to the creek-bottom.

Nearing this, they heard the occasiona