midday
The laziest brave in camp was well fed , but for all that there was a general air of dejection and despondency . Long Bear himself sat in front of his lodge , cross-legged and moody , all the forenoon : his children were away from him , on a visit to the pale-faces ; his ponies were away upon another visit , he could not guess with whom ; his dogs , with the solitary exception of One-eye , had all visited the camp-kettles . His only remaining consolation seemed to be his pipe , and he was rapidly and extravagantly using up all the tobacco he had obtained from Yellow Pine . The shadow of the mighty maple near him grew shorter until it had little more left to lose and could almost announce the arrival of midday . Just then there arose , at the edge of the woods , a long , ear-piercing howl , followed by such a volley of yelps and barking as can only be fired off by a very remarkable dog . One-eye was informing the camp that something great was drawing near , and was doing his best to make up for the absence of the other dogs . The Nez Percé warriors went for their weapons instinctively but somewhat listlessly , until they heard a tremendous whoop join in with the barking of One-eye and recognized the powerful voice of the Big Tongue .