"I don't understand it myself, except that when the Twins discovered them their plan of attack went all wrong," my uncle answered in a puzzled voice. "I know all about it," Pitamakan said in the sign language so that the Mandans should understand. "Well, let us hear," said my uncle. "This is it," he went on. "The cut-throats want our scalps, but they want also Is-spai-u. A few of them laid in wait for my almost-brother and me, hoping to seize the runner when we drove the herd out last night; but they failed. The chiefs then planned to wait until we should bring the horses back into the barricade and kill us in a surprise attack as we all stood fighting their few men on the west side. Thus they would take no chances of shooting the black runner. They would have wiped us out, had not the Twins discovered them down there in the timber. Now they plan to make us go mad from want of water and then wipe us out." "You women, how much water have you?" Tsistsaki asked. One by one they answered; there was not a bucketful in any lodge! "Far Thunder, it is now time for my almost-brother and me to go after our people," Pitamakan said to my uncle impressively. "It is! Go--as fast as you can!" he replied. "I ride Is-spai-u," I said. "You do not! He is our shield, it seems. You ride your own runner!" We had saddled up and were ready to start within five minutes. Day had come. To the west and east there was not a single body of the enemy. Abbott could hardly believe his eyes. Tsistsaki, ever thoughtful of us, had tied little sacks of food to our saddles, and now we mounted our runners. Nowhere along the bank of the river was there the least sign of the enemy, but we were certain that many a pair of eyes was watching the barricade from clumps of rye grass and sweet sage. "You'll better lie low on yer horses an' go out flyin'; they'll prob'ly shoot at you," Abbott warned us. My uncle came and grasped my hand. "It is a terrible risk you are taking. I wish I could take it for you, but my place seems to be here. I've got you all in a bad fix, my boy, but I hope you and Pitamakan will pull us out of it." His voice was unsteady. "We'll do our best," I answered. "Go, I am praying for you both!" Tsistsaki called out to us. We took a running start, hanging low upon the right side of our animals, and went out through the passageway with a rush. We turned sharply to the right, and in no time had the barricade between us and the river. Not a shot was fired at us. We rode straight up the valley for fully a mile before we turned out on the plain. There we halted for a last look at camp. How peaceful it seemed! But how terrible was the situation! There were at least two hundred enemies between our few people and water.