Angry Horse waited until the celebration that always followed a successful hunt ended before he crept out of the village. The lookouts would see him leave but that was not a concern. These young men had not yet passed the rites of manhood so they dared not question him. He rode to the top of ridge above the burial grounds and tied up his horse.

Soundlessly he moved down the ridge as close to the ancient grounds as he dared, there he crouched, watched and waited. His patience was rewarded when he saw the man exit the cave carrying bags which contained the yellow rocks that the white men prized so highly. He fitted an arrow in his bow and waited again until the man had crossed the fence and was away from the burial grounds.
Then a strange thing happened. The white man stopped moving and looked in his direction and Angry Horse swore the man was looking right at him, but that was impossible. It was too dark and he was well hidden and had not made a sound

He let an arrow fly and it struck the white man in the chest, but he did not go down. In the blink of an eye another arrow followed the first one and it struck the man in the head, this time he went down

Angry Horse let out a victory cry as he ran down the ridge. He would bring back this strange mans scalp and show it proudly to Chief Puma.

He jumped the fence and ran up to where the white man laid on the ground. He pulled his knife and grabbed the white mans hair to take his scalp.That's when the white man opened his eyes and stood up.

He pulled the arrows the were stuck in him and hissed at the brave.

Angry Horse recovered from the momentary shock of seeing the man that he believed dead stand up. In less than a second and then plunged his knife into the mans stomach as least a dozen times.

The man did not go down and a look of anger crossed his face and he hissed again as he pushed the brave backwards.

"Ignorant savage," he said in the language of the tribe.

With a cry of rage Angry Horse charged and grabbed the man by the throat. The man removed his hands as easily as Angry Horse escaped the hands of the village children when they played with him.

He was then pushed backwards again and this time with such force that he did a backward somersaults before he stopped.

Angry Horse was on his feet again and changed. This time he jumped up so as to land on top of him and pin him to the ground. The man simply caught him in mid air and held him by his throat in the grip of one hand.

"Fool," the man hissed.

Angry Horse felt two sharp points of pain in his neck and then felt nothing.

The following morning Angry Horse could not be located, but Chief Puma was not overly concerned.

Was he not the fiercest of warriors? Were not his skills with his bow and knife used in instructing the young braves? Riders were sent to a fishing spot on the river he favored while others searched a small patch of woods that always yielded small game. He could not be located anywhere.

As night began to fall he called a meeting in the great lodge. In the Morning riders would be sent to the neighboring tribes to see if he was there. Maybe he had fallen from his horse and was injured and was being cared for by one of them.

This of course was said out of desperation as Angry Horse's skill at riding were unmatched. The meeting broke up and Chief Puma was left alone with Red Owl.

They sat and talked until once again the strange white man returned without making a sound. He was standing there before them and he carried Angry Horse bound and gagged over his shoulder.

There was a look of anger on the mans face as he threw Angry Horse to the ground.

Red Owl untied the brave and examined his wounds while the white man then addressed the Chief.

"This warrior attacked me last night."

This filled Chief Puma and Red Owl with many more questions. Normally if Angry Horse attacked anyone they always died, but here was this strange white man still alive and filled with rage.

"He was trespassing in our burial grounds," Angry Horse responded.

"I crossed the grounds but did not disturb those that rested there."

"Why were you there? I had forbidden contact with this man," the Chief asked

" I wanted to know what he was doing. I saw him coming out of the cave," Angry Horse informed the Chief.

"That cave use to attract many white men until they came understand that attempting to enter it was inviting death," Puma solemnly responded.

"Death does not frighten me," the white man responded.

Chief Puma and Red Owl noticed that Angry Horse would not look the stranger in the eye. He had not stood with his face in this strangers face as was his custom. He had not even gotten to his feet and his voice was weak.

"Teach this brave some manners," the white man said before he exited and was swallowed up my the night.

Angry Horse was offered a gourd of water which restored his voice. He then told his tale of shooting arrows into this man and then stabbing him and yet the white man still lived.

"Were you not told to leave this man alone?" Chief Puma asked again.

"I was."

"Then why did you bother him? "

Angry Horse had no real good answer and was permitted to leave. The Chief and medicine man were alone again with many questions burning inside them.This time they did not voice these questions, but contemplated all that they had seen and heard.