es. But the Crows first of all.
Any day he may lead his army on the war trail against us, here in the
Falling Water Reserve."

"If you're certain of that, why not be the first to attack?" suggested
Kiddie. "You could take him by surprise."

Short Nose grunted deep in his throat and shook his head.

"Unfortunately," he answered, "the Crows have no warrior capable of
planning and carrying out such an enterprise. It'll be as much as we
can do to defend our village when we ourselves are attacked. Now, if
Buckskin Jack were here----!"

There was a long spell of silence in the lodge, broken only by the
crackling of the fire. Rube had closed his heavy eyes when he again
heard Kiddie's voice.

"Tell me this, Simon," said Kiddie, seeming to change the subject from
warfare to hunting. "Exactly how did you learn of that herd of
buffalo, back of Washakee Peak?"

Simon Sprott was meditatively puffing at his tobacco pipe; but he
paused to answer--

"Word was brought in by one of our scouts."

"Did that scout see the herd with his own eyes?" Kiddie pursued.

"Well, no; I believe not," Simon answered absently. "A lone trapper on
Box Elder Creek gave him the information; said it was the biggest herd
seen on these hunting grounds for many summers back."

"Trapper might have been one of Broken Feather's spies," Kiddie
suggested very quietly.

"Eh?" Simon Sprott looked up sharply and blew a long, slow jet of
smoke from his lips.

"It's possible," he acknowledged; "quite possible, but not just likely.
And why should the trapper, if he was a spy, tell the scout that the
buffalo were there, and even recommend the hunt?"

"Yes, why?" Kiddie asked. "For my own part, I don't believe that
there's a herd of buffalo within a hundred miles of Washakee Peak. I
guess the trapper had his instructions to tell that story, just to get
your warriors out on the buffalo trail, leaving your village undefended
for Broken Feather to make his unopposed attack upon it in your
absence."

Simon Sprott stared at Kiddie in amazement.

"That's cute," he said, "very cute indeed of you to hit upon such an
idea. It's just the sort of idea that Buckskin Jack himself might have
sprung out of that wonderful brain of his. I believe you're right.
Broken Feather would do a cunning thing like that. It's quite in his
line. Nothing more likely. In any case, the Crows are going to alter
their programme. All preparations for the buffalo surround