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 ............