one could know better than he that he had
taken a most dangerous position.

If the horsemen, who could not be far off, were hostile, they would
surround the hill whereon they last saw the Sioux, and unless Tall Bear
kept his wits about him he was likely to be shut in on every hand.

But it would have been hard for the most skilful Indian scout to take
him unawares. He was certain to see and hear the approach of any one as
soon as the latter could see or hear him, and the chieftain was not the
one to fall asleep under such circumstances.

Darting his penetrating glances here, there, and everywhere, he suddenly
fixed them upon a point directly ahead. Something was vaguely assuming
form in the gloom, and a minute later he observed a man walking toward
him.

Tall Bear leaned forward over the neck of his pony, that he might not
lose the advantage of an inch of space. The stranger was advancing
without any more noise than if he was a shadow, and he was alone, or, if
he had any companions, they were so far behind when he was in full view
as to be invisible.

The man on foot came to a halt while still too far off to be more than
faintly visible, and emitted a low tremulous whistle. Tall Bear promptly
answered in the same manner, and then the other ran forward to his side.
He was one of the two scouts the chief had sent out, and he brought
important tidings.

The party of horsemen which caused the Sioux such concern were white
men--every one--under the leadership of the famous frontier scout Nat
Trumbull. The warrior had ventured near enough to the company to
recognize his voice when he gave the order for his men to move around to
the south and approach the house from that direction.

Trumbull was a veteran who had done good service during the lurid summer
of 1862, when the Sioux desolated a large portion of the Minnesota
frontier, and Tall Bear feared him more than any white man living. He
knew that if Trumbull and his rangers got a chance at the Sioux they
would force matters without mercy. No sooner, therefore, did the Sioux
scout tell what he had learned than Tall Bear made up his mind that the
best place for him and his warriors was somewhere else. When he asked
after the other scout who accompanied the one that returned, the
chieftain was told that he had ventured so near the white men that he
narrowly escaped capture, and was forced to dodge off in another
direction.

That was enough. Tall Bear wheeled his pony