Buffalo Before Breakfast (4 page)

She nodded at him.

Lakota people admire those who do not show fear
, Jack remembered.

He liked Grandmother. He wanted her to admire him. He let out a wild whoop, and Sunlight took off like the wind.

The whoop made Jack feel braver.

He held tightly to Sunlight's mane. They caught up with Black Hawk and Annie, and together they all rode through the tall grass.

Shadows of clouds swept over the plains. They looked like giant dark birds spreading their wings.

Black Hawk's pony stopped at the top of a grassy slope. Sunlight and Midnight halted right behind him.

Jack couldn't believe his eyes.

Before them were thousands and thousands of grazing buffalo.

“Wow,” whispered Jack and Annie together.

Black Hawk looked silently at the grazing buffalo.

“Hand me the research book,” said Jack.

Annie lifted Teddy out of the bag. Then she slid the book out and gave it to Jack.

He found a picture of a buffalo herd. He read to himself.

Jack looked back at the vast herd. As far as he could see, there was nothing but buffalo.

Now Jack knew for certain they'd come to the time
before
the white settlers and soldiers had arrived,
before
the end of the great buffalo herds.

“I have been on many hunts,” Black Hawk said, his eyes still on the buffalo.

“Were you scared?” said Jack.

Black Hawk shook his head.

“You're really brave,” said Annie.

Black Hawk smiled proudly.

“I will show you how a brave hunter moves,” he said.

He slid off his pony.

“Wait, your grandmother said not to hunt,” said Annie. “Plus, you don't have your wolf suit.”

“I am not afraid,” said Black Hawk.

“I don't think you should go down there,” said Jack. “There's no grownups around.”

But Black Hawk wasn't listening.

He began creeping on all fours toward the buffalo.

“I have a feeling something bad is going to happen,” said Annie.

Jack had the same feeling. He looked back at the book.

Jack looked back at Black Hawk. He was creeping closer and closer to the herd.

Jack's heart pounded. He wanted to shout,
Come back!
But he didn't want to scare any of the huge, fierce-looking animals.

Keeping his eyes on Black Hawk, Jack handed the plains book to Annie. She slid it back into the bag beside Teddy.

Black Hawk stopped just as he was passing the nearest buffalo. His eyes squeezed shut. His nose wrinkled up. His mouth opened.

“What's he doing?” asked Jack.

“
Ah-ah-CHOO!
” Black Hawk sneezed.

“Uh-oh,” said Annie.

The huge buffalo jerked its head up. It made a low, moaning sound. Then it pointed its horns and charged!

“Watch out!” cried Jack.

Black Hawk threw himself out of the way of the charging buffalo.

A ripple went through the herd as other shaggy animals looked up.

Suddenly, Teddy jumped out of Annie's arms. He landed in the tall grass and ran toward the buffalo.

“Teddy!” shouted Annie.

The dog tore down the hill. He bounded along the edge of the herd, barking furiously.

“Teddy, come back!” cried Annie.

She slid off her pony and ran after Teddy.

Jack tried to see Black Hawk.

The boy was still dodging the running buffalo. He looked tired.

Jack took a deep breath.

“Go to Black Hawk!” he said, nudging Sunlight with his knees.

The golden pony charged down the slope. He ran between the buffalo.

“Black Hawk!” Jack shouted.

Black Hawk started running toward Sunlight. The buffalo swerved behind him.

Sunlight slowed as Black Hawk got near. The boy threw himself over the golden pony's back. He held on to Jack as Sunlight veered away from the buffalo and ran back up the slope.

“Where's Annie?” Jack cried as they reached the top.

“There!” said Black Hawk, pointing.

Annie was surrounded by buffalo—
calm
buffalo. She was patting them and talking to them. The buffalo near her had stopped running, too.

The ones beyond those started to calm down … then others … until all the buffalo had stopped running. They began grazing again as if nothing had happened.

“She has good medicine,” said Black Hawk.

“Annie doesn't have any medicine,” Jack said. “She just has a way with animals.”

Black Hawk was silent. He climbed back on his waiting pony. Then he rode down toward Annie.

Jack followed. Annie's pony trailed behind.

Annie turned to Jack and Black Hawk as they rode up to her. On her face was a look of amazement.

“You wouldn't believe what happened!” she said.

“You stopped the stampede,” said Black Hawk.

“But it wasn't just me,” said Annie.

“What do you mean?” asked Jack.

“I was trying to find Teddy,” said Annie, “and I got in the way of the buffalo. I couldn't escape. So I held up my hands and shouted, ‘
Stop!
' Then, out of nowhere, a beautiful lady in a white leather dress came to help me.”

“You saw a lady in white?” asked Black Hawk. His eyes had grown wide.

“Yes!” said Annie. “She held up
her
hands, and the buffalo stopped running. Then she disappeared.”

“Where's Teddy?” said Jack.

Annie gasped.

“I don't know! I forgot about him!” she said. “Teddy! Teddy!”

Arf! Arf!

The little dog came bounding out of the grass toward them.

Annie scooped him up. Teddy licked her face all over.

“Where did you go?” Annie asked him. “Did you see the beautiful lady, too?”

“That lady does not live on this earth,” Black Hawk said softly.

“What do you mean?” said Annie.

“You saw the spirit of White Buffalo Woman,” he said.

“What do you mean,
spirit?
” said Jack. “You mean like a ghost?”

Black Hawk turned his pony around.

“Let us go back,” he said. “We must tell Grandmother.”

Annie put Teddy in Jack's bag. Then she climbed on her pony, and they took off.

Behind them, the buffalo grazed peacefully on the plains.

The sun was going down as the three ponies galloped for home. The deep blue sky was streaked with golden red light.

Back at the Lakota camp, the circle of tepees glowed in the setting sun. People were gathered around a large fire.

Black Hawk led Jack and Annie to the camp. They got off their ponies and went over to the fire.