Buffalo Before Breakfast (3 page)

Jack quickly flipped through the book. He found a picture of a man on horseback carrying a bow and arrows. Below the picture it said
LAKOTA WARRIOR
.

Jack read:

Jack looked back at the rider. The warrior was coming closer.

“Get down,” he whispered.

“Why?” said Annie.

“This might be a time when the Indians are fighting with the settlers,” said Jack.

The grass rustled as the warrior passed by them. His horse neighed again.

Arf! Arf!

“Shh!” whispered Jack.

But it was too late. The warrior had heard Teddy's barking. He galloped toward them, grabbing his bow.

“Wait!” shouted Jack. He jumped up from the grass. “We come in peace!”

The rider halted.

Now Jack saw that he was only a boy on a pony. He couldn't have been more than ten or eleven.

“Hey, you're just a kid,” Annie said, smiling.

The boy didn't smile back. But he did lower his bow while he stared at Annie.

“What's your name?” she asked.

“Black Hawk,” he said.

“Cool name,” said Annie. “We're Jack and Annie. We're just visiting. We live in Frog Creek, Pennsylvania.”

Black Hawk nodded. Then he turned his pony around and started toward the Lakota camp.

“Hey, can we come with you?” called Annie.

Black Hawk looked back.

“Yes,” he said. “Meet my people.”

“You mean your parents?” asked Annie.

“No, they died long ago,” said Black Hawk. “I live with my grandmother.”

“Oh, I'd like to meet your grandmother,” said Annie. “I'm going to see my grandmother today, too.”

Black Hawk nudged his pony forward again. Annie followed with Teddy.

Jack didn't move.

What if the Lakota are at war with the white settlers?
he worried.
What if they think we're enemies?

“Annie!” Jack called softly. “We don't know if it's safe or not!”

But Annie just waved for him to come on.

Jack sighed. He opened the research book and quickly flipped through the pages. He wanted information about how to act with the Lakota.

On one page, he read:

On another page, he read:

Jack's favorite piece of information was:

Jack put the book away. He ran to catch up with Annie.

Annie was telling Black Hawk all about their grandmother. The boy listened silently.

“Annie,” Jack whispered. “I just read that it's good manners to be quiet. And we should give gifts and not show fear. Also, holding up two fingers means ‘friend.' ”

Annie nodded.

“Got that?” said Jack.

“Sure,” she said. “No talking, no fear, no problem.”

Jack looked up. He caught his breath.

Ahead of them, the people at the campsite had stopped what they were doing. All eyes were turned to Jack and Annie.

Jack quickly held up two fingers. Annie did the same.

Black Hawk led Jack and Annie toward the tepees. Everyone kept watching them.

Jack couldn't tell what anyone was thinking. No one looked angry. But no one looked happy, either.

Jack wondered how to appear brave.

He glanced at Annie. She walked tall and straight. Her chin was up. Her face was calm.

Jack straightened his shoulders. He lifted his chin, and he felt braver.

Black Hawk stopped and slid off his pony. The pony headed for the grazing pasture.

Then Black Hawk led them to a tepee. It was covered with buffalo designs.

“Grandmother is inside,” Black Hawk said to Jack and Annie.

Inside, the tepee looked like a small round room. A fire burned in the center. Smoke rose through a hole at the top.

An old woman sat on animal skins. She was sewing beads onto a moccasin.

She looked up at Jack and Annie.

“Grandmother,” said Black Hawk. “This is Jack and Annie from Frog Creek, Pennsylvania.”

Jack and Annie both held up two fingers for “friend.”

Grandmother raised two fingers also.

Then Jack took off his coonskin cap. He gave it to Grandmother.

She put the cap on her head, then laughed. Jack and Annie laughed, too.

Grandmother's laughter and kind face reminded Jack of his own grandmother.

“You wish to learn our ways,” she said.

Jack and Annie nodded. Jack could tell she was wise.

Grandmother stood and left the tepee. They followed her.

Outside, everyone was busy again. They all seemed to know that Jack and Annie weren't enemies.

Jack looked around the camp.

Men and boys carved bows. Women and girls pounded meat and sewed clothes. One girl was adding claws to a buckskin shirt.

“The bear claws will give her the strength of the bear,” said Grandmother. “She will sew on hawk feathers, elk teeth, and porcupine quills, too. All will give her the power of the animals.”

Jack pulled out his notebook and wrote:

“I have strong animal power when I go on a buffalo hunt,” Black Hawk said proudly.

“What do you mean?” asked Jack.

“I will show you,” said Black Hawk. “Wait.”

Black Hawk went back inside the tepee.

Annie turned to Grandmother.

“Why does he hunt the buffalo?” she asked.

“The buffalo gives our people many gifts,” said the old woman. “Food from his body. Tepees from his skin, tools from his bones.”

Jack started making a list.

“Cups from his horns,” Grandmother went on. “Ropes from his hair. Even winter sleds from his ribs.”

Jack finished his list.

“That reminds me of the seal hunter in the Arctic,” said Annie. “He used all the gifts from the seal's body. He didn't waste a thing.”

Just then, Teddy began growling and barking.

Jack and Annie turned around. They both gasped.

Coming out of Grandmother's tepee was a huge wolf!

The wolf had yellow eyes and sharp teeth.

Teddy snarled and barked. Annie rushed forward to grab the little dog.

Suddenly the wolf stood up on its hind legs!

“Yikes!” said Annie.

She leaped back.

Then she and Jack started to laugh.

The fierce wolf was Black Hawk wearing a wolf's hide! His head came out through a slit near the wolf's neck. He gave Jack and Annie a little smile.

“That's a great wolf suit,” said Annie.

“Why do you wear that?” asked Jack.

“The wolf is the most powerful hunter of the buffalo,” said Black Hawk. “When I wear his skin, I feel his strength.”

“Wow,” said Annie.

Black Hawk looked at his grandmother.

“May I show them the buffalo now?” he said.

“Only
show
,” said Grandmother. “Do not hunt. We have enough meat today.”

She looked back at Jack and Annie.

“Lakota never take more buffalo than we need,” she said.

“That's good,” said Annie.

Black Hawk handed his wolf skin to Grandmother. Then he ran to the grazing ponies.

He climbed on his. Then he herded two ponies, one black and one yellow, over to Jack and Annie.

“Hi, Midnight. Hi, Sunlight,” said Annie, naming the ponies. She patted their noses.

“Annie,” whispered Jack. “How are we going to ride without saddles or reins?”

“Just hold on to their manes,” she said, “and grip with your legs. Watch.”

Annie threw her arms around Midnight's neck. She slung her leg over the pony's back and pulled herself up.

“I'll carry Teddy in the bag,” Annie said.

Jack picked up Teddy and slipped him inside the leather bag. He handed it to Annie, who hung it over her shoulder. Teddy's head peeked out of the bag.

Arf!
he barked.

“Giddy-up, Midnight!” said Annie. The pony started to walk away.

“Wait—” said Jack.

He turned to Black Hawk. He had just a few questions.

Black Hawk let out a wild whoop and took off, too.

Jack took a deep breath. He threw his arms around Sunlight's neck. Then he slung his leg over the pony's back.

The pony started to move!

“Wait—wait!” said Jack. He hopped on one foot, trying to keep up.

The pony stopped.

Slowly, Jack pulled himself onto Sunlight's back. He gripped the pony's mane. Then he carefully reached up and pushed his glasses into place.

He looked over his shoulder. Grandmother was watching.