the news that kil-fang and his pack were returning to the black hills was a startling surprise for all who gathered about sandy, but they showed no fear, for all knew how to keep out of the way of the pack and all had faith in the power of cho-gay. now they wanted to hear what he would say.
“where do you get the news, and where is proof that it is true?” cho-gay asked.
“yap-kii, the coyote, got the news secretly from one of the coyotes that live in the north. he told rip and rip told me. they say that the pack will come through the north canyon when the moon is again full.”
“where is yap-kii?” asked cho-gay, turning to the coyotes.
“hunting,” said fearful, who led the clan while yap-kii was away. “he has said nothing to us about the coming of kil-fang, but he has said that before the moon was again full we would all go[122] over into the broad valley to the east, where there would soon be fine hunting.”
“that is proof enough for me,” said kaw.
“why is it proof?” asked cho-gay.
“yap-kii knows that with the coming of kil-fang all small animals will run to get out of the way of the pack, and they will run eastward into the broad valley, as that is the easiest way out.”
“i believe the news must be true,” said cho-gay, who placed great faith in the wisdom of his old friend kaw.
“is it good then that i brought the news to you?” asked sandy timidly.
“it is good, and all people of the black hills will be glad that you have brought me the news,” said cho-gay.
“not all,” said sandy. “for what will become of my brother that is kept shut up in the rocks?”
this surprising question puzzled cho-gay and he scarcely knew how to reply.
“what do you say, brothers?” he asked. “shall a thief who has twice stolen without cause be freed before he has been punished?”
“kindness is greater than the law in this case,” said kaw, “and sandy has shown kindness to us all by bringing this news. it may be that the thief will be honest and steal no more.”
[123]“free him,” advised wongo.
“free him! free him!” echoed the coyotes.
at this cho-gay, followed by sandy, went up to the little cave of the imprisoned fox.
“will you remember the law and steal no more if i set you free?” asked cho-gay of his prisoner.
“yes, i steal no more,” was the reply.
as sandy and his brother trotted down the trail, fearful and the remainder of his followers (for most of them had slipped away, one by one, to tell the great news to their friends) vanished into the sagebrush.
when cho-gay had returned to the rock in front of the cave, kaw asked, “what will you do about the coming of kil-fang and his pack? the moon will be full again in fewer than a dozen days.”
“i shall kill him and all his pack,” said cho-gay. “i will make many arrows and an extra bow, and i will have food and water in my cave to last until the wolves are all dead. i shall have big rocks at the door of my cave and i’ll shoot through the rocks, and cut with the knife all who try to enter.”
“all that might be very well,” said kaw, slowly, “and you might kill them all. but kil-fang with a dozen followers, and kil-fang with a pack of fifty wolves of the north, are two different things. why have a fight and kill and kill? why[124] should we let our old enemy return to our hills to scare all the game away? why not have a little fun with him and give him such a scare that he and his pack will be glad to go back into the north and stay there?”
“that is easy to say, but how could it be done?” asked cho-gay.
wongo, who was for the first time having his ever-present curiosity satisfied without asking questions, looked confidently up at kaw, for he knew, from past experience, that the wise old crow never suggested a thing unless he himself had thought of a way in which it could be carried out.
“well,” said kaw, “my plan would be this: you remember that this end of the north canyon, where it opens into the valley, is very narrow. kil-fang will come through the canyon because it is the easiest way and the other end is wide and full of small game. we will get a number of bears to help you, and you can roll some big rocks down into the narrow place at this end, until there will be left only a space where one wolf can pass through at a time. that you can do to-morrow, so that any fresh earth that is torn up will look old and dry when the pack comes. nothing will scare wolves or coyotes like a big noise, if they are not expecting it, so we will make a big drum.”
[125]
wongo, cho-gay and kaw plan to scare kil-fang
[126]“what is that?” asked cho-gay.
[127]“it’s just the thing?” exclaimed wongo, who remembered the drums used by the indian men when old grouch was captured.
“we’ll tell you what a drum is and how to make it,” replied kaw. “up the valley, a little way from here, is a nice piece of a hollow log lying beside the trail.”
“i remember it,” said wongo.
“can you roll it down here this afternoon?” asked kaw.
“yes, easily,” replied the little bear.
then, turning to cho-gay, kaw continued:
“you will have to kill a young buck—which you will need for meat anyway—for you must have a fresh skin and one large enough to supply a piece of hide for each end of the log. when you kill the buck and wongo brings the log i will be there to tell you how to finish the drum.
“when kil-fang and his pack come down the canyon, he will be in the lead. it will be moonlight, for the pack will not travel in our country by day. we will have all the bears and coyotes we can get, hidden behind the big rocks that stand just this side of the narrow passage of the canyon, and it is there you can be stationed with the drum.
“we will let one of the biggest bears stand on[128] the wall of the canyon just above the narrow passage with some big, round rocks, and after kil-fang and three or four of the pack have passed through into the valley, the big bear can roll in enough rocks to fill the passage and separate the pack from their leader. then we’ll all let loose the big noise and chase mr. kil-fang down the valley and over the mountains. a pack without a leader is easily confused and the noise we make will scare them out of their skins.”
“it all sounds as if it could be done,” said cho-gay. “i will hunt for a buck this afternoon and if you are here to-morrow we can make this thing that makes the noise.”
“i will be here,” replied kaw, “and as i also have much to do, if this plan is carried out, i will be going.”
with this parting remark, kaw left his companions and flew away down the valley in search of old rip. as he flew along he talked to himself:
“if i can get the old rascal to do what i tell him to, we’ll have more fun than a cat fight. first—i’ll find him some food and get him in a good humor. i’ll tell him that he’ll be looked upon as a hero by all, if he will join in my plan.” and he chuckled as he thought of it.
