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Perhaps the chief had already gone to the scene of the hostile meeting; perhaps he had not yet set out, for the hour was early, or, what was more likely, he had taken another route. Of one thing Deerfoot was certain: the chief had told no one of what was coming, except Mul-tal-la, who bore the message to the youth. When the two combatants should meet, no human eye must witness the terrific combat.
On the top of the same bare brown rock where he had caught sight of Mul-tal-la when Deerfoot was coming to the village for the first time, he descried another form. It was not that of Mul-tal-la; it was Taggarak, who had climbed alone to the place, and, silent and motionless as a statue, was gazing after the little party of horsemen as they slowly faded from view in the distance.
The caller had not been gone two minutes when Mul-tal-la came in, bringing with him some buffalo meat that he had procured from a neighbor. It was uncooked, which was a small matter to the brothers, who were glad to see him, for he was the one person in the village with whom they could converse freely.
Thus everything had been prepared for Mul-tal-la and the Shelton brothers when one afternoon the three rode into the village, with Zigzag the packhorse plodding at the rear of the procession.
The arrival made a hubbub of excitement, and it seemed as if the whole settlement men, squaws and children gathered clamorously round the horsemen, who dismounted and gazed about them with scarcely less wonder. The parents of Mul-tal-la remained in their own lodge.
Determined that Mul-tal-la should parry no longer, the Shawanoe forced him to a direct answer. "Why does my brother think Taggarak wishes to fight him?" The reply was astonishing: "The squaw of Taggarak is seeking to learn of the God that she has been told is known to the Shawanoe. She does not sleep because of her heaviness of mind." "Does Taggarak know of this?" asked the surprised Deerfoot.
Upon hearing these words the latter turned his head and spoke for several minutes to his companions, but his words were so low that Deerfoot could not overhear them. "Is Mul-tal-la in the home of my brothers?" "No," was the response. "He does not live there." "Where does he live?" Instead of directly answering this question the Blackfoot leader said: "He lives in another village.
But, beside this, they had numerous fights with enemies from the west, often losing some of their warriors and many of their horses. At the time of the visit by our friends, Amokeat was principal chief of the Nez Perces. He and Mul-tal-la the Blackfoot were attached to each other, and the confidence of the latter in the dusky leader was complete.
Mul-tal-la knew the Shawanoe would win, while the other two Blackfeet merely believed it, for they had never been intimately associated with the champion of champions, and only remembered what Mul-tal-la told them he had witnessed.
He may be gone for weeks, and no one here will know anything of it until he returns." "What does Mul-tal-la think?" "He knows not what to think. If Taggarak is not here to-morrow, then he will believe the chief is visiting his other warriors." "Does he not summon his other chiefs to come to him?" "Often; they meet at the Big Lodge.
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