arrivals from the
shouts that they heard the squaws and children utter: "Sisseton!"
"Wahpeton!" "Ogalala!" "Yankton!" "Teton!" "Hunkpapa!"

The arriving warriors, many of whom were undoubtedly chiefs,
gravely nodded to their welcome, and came silently on as the
admiring crowd opened to receive them.

"It's my opinion," said Dick, "that the Seven Fireplaces are
about to hold a grand council in the lodge of the Akitcita."

"I don't think there's any doubt about it," replied Albert.

They also heard, amidst the names of the tribes, the names of
great warriors or medicine men, names which they were destined to
hear many times again, both in Indian and English--Sitting Bull,
Rain-in-the-Face, Little Big Man, and others. Then they meant
nothing to either Dick or Albert.

All the chiefs, led by Bright Sun, went directly to the lodge of
the Akitcita, and the other warriors were taken into the lodges
of their friends, the Mendewahkantons. Then the women ran to the
lodges and returned with the best food that the village could
furnish. It was given to the guests, and also many pounds of
choice tobacco.

Dick and Albert had made no mistake in their surmise. The great
council of the Seven Fireplaces of the Sioux was in session. All
that day the chiefs remained in the lodge of the Akitcita, and
when night was far advanced they were still there.

Dick and Albert shared the excitement of the village, although
knowing far less of its nature, but they knew that a grand
council of the Seven Fireplaces would not be held without great
cause, and they feared much for their people. It was a warm,
close night, with a thin moon and flashes of heat lightening on
the hilly horizon. Through the heavy air came the monotonous
rolling of a war drum, and the chant of a medicine man making
medicine in a tepee near by went on without ceasing.

The boys did not try to sleep, and unable to stifle curiosity,
they came from the little bark lodge. One or two Sioux warriors
glanced at them, but none spoke. The Sioux knew that the village
was guarded so closely by a ring of sentinels that a cat could
not have crept through without being seen. The boys walked on
undisturbed until they came near the great council lodge, where
they stopped to look at the armed warriors standing by the door.

The dim light and the excited imaginations of the boys made the
lodge grow in size and assume fantastic shapes. So many great
chiefs had come togethe