Indian makes a good deal of noise at times.

Across the river was a vast throng of warriors, who had finally decided
to go on the war-path. Will and his captors forded the shallow stream,
and the prisoner was conducted before the chiefs of the tribe, with some
of whom he was acquainted.

His head throbbed from the tomahawking, but his wits were still in
working order, and when asked by Satanta where he had been, he replied
that he had been out searching for "whoa-haws."

He knew that the Indians had been promised a herd of "whoa-haws," as
they termed cattle, and he knew, too, that the herd had not arrived, and
that the Indians had been out of meat for several weeks; hence he hoped
to enlist Satanta's sympathetic interest.

He succeeded. Satanta was vastly interested. Where were the cattle? Oh,
a few miles back. Will had been sent forward to notify the Indians that
an army of sirloin steaks was advancing upon them.

Satanta was much pleased, and the other chiefs were likewise interested.
Did General Hazen say the cattle were for them? Was there a chance that
the scout was mistaken?

Not a chance; and with becoming dignity Will demanded a reason for the
rough treatment he had received.

Oh, that was all a joke, Satanta explained. The Indians who had captured
the white chief were young and frisky. They wished to see whether he was
brave. They were simply testing him. It was sport--just a joke.