If now their partiality for each other was not visible and open, they were none the less determined to carry out their designs.  When the young Pawnee perceived that there were difficulties in the way, which would ever be insuperable while he remained a prisoner among the Tetons, he immediately conceived the idea of eloping to his own people, and embraced the first opportunity to apprise Ni-ar-gua of his design.  The proposition met with a hearty response on her part.  She was ready to go with him wherever he went, and to die where he died.

Now there was a young warrior of her own tribe who also desired the hand of the Teton belle, and he greatly envied the position Do-ran-to occupied in the eyes of Ni-ar-gua.  In fact, he entertained the most deadly hate toward the Pawnee captive, and suffered no opportunity to show it to pass unimproved.  Do-ran-to was by no means ignorant of the young warrior’s feelings of jealousy and hate, but he felt his disability as an alien in the tribe, and pursued a course of forbearance as most likely to ensure the accomplishment of his designs.  Still, there were bounds beyond which his code of honour would not suffer his enemy to pass.  On one occasion, the young brave offered Do-ran-to the greatest and most intolerable insult which in the estimation of Western tribes one man can give to another.

The person on whom this indignity is cast, by a law among the tribes, may take away the life of the offender if he can; but it is customary, and thought more honourable, to settle the difficulty by single combat, in which the parties may use the kind of weapons on which they mutually agree.  Public sentiment will admit of no compromise.  If no resistance is offered to the insult, the person insulted is thenceforth a disgraced wretch, a dog, and universally despised.  Do-ran-to forthwith demanded satisfaction of the young Sioux, who, by the way, was only too anxious to give it, being full of game and mettle, as well as sanguine as to the victory he would gain over the hated young Pawnee.  They agreed to settle their difficulty by single combat, and the weapons to be used were war-clubs and short knives.  A suitable place was selected.  The whole village of the Tetons emptied itself to witness the combat.  Men, women, and children swarmed about the arena.  The two youthful combatants made their appearance, stark naked, and took their positions about thirty yards apart.  Just when the signal was given, Do-ran-to’s eye caught that of his betrothed Ni-ar-gua in the crowd.  Then said his heart, “Be strong and my arm big!” There was no fear then in Do-ran-to.