Star: The Story of an Indian Pony
Chapter XVI
As Moko painted the battle on the big robe, Songbird sat beside her, dayafter day, watching the picture grow. There were white men withfire-sticks, Comanches with war-bonnets, and horses running in everydirection, while two little boys waved pieces of buffalo robes tofrighten the horses of the white men and keep the animals running towardthe Comanches.
The old Picture Maker talked while she worked, and Songbird keptperfectly quiet as she heard the stories of the great warriors or wisemen of the tribe.
"They are gone," said Moko. "All of whom I had told you, heard the cryof the Great Eagle and answered it with the Death Song of the Quahadas.They did not fear that call, for they knew that the Great Eagle is themessenger from the Great Spirit, and when the shadow of the Great Eaglefell upon them, the big, strong wings lifted and carried them to theHappy Hunting Grounds to meet the Great Spirit and the spirits of theirfriends. But the cry of the Great Eagle is a terrible thing to hear if aman has not lived with honour. Then he cowers and cries out in fear,because he knows that he must stand alone and face the anger of theGreat Spirit, who will drive him away from his friends and make himtravel alone forever in darkness."
"Only three tribes now are left of the five big tribes of the Comancheswho came out of the land of snows so many winters ago that no living manknows when it was," continued Moko.
"Each tribe was under its own chief, yet all lived together and werebrothers. They did not fight one against the other. There were theCost-che-teght-kas, or Buffalo Eaters; the Pen-e-teght-kas, or HoneyEaters; the No-ko-ness, or Wanderers; the Yam-per-i-cos, or RootDiggers, and the Quahadas, who were called Chatz-ken-ners, or AntelopeEaters." The old woman had been speaking very slowly, checking off eachtribe on the gnarled fingers of her left hand.
Songbird's eyes were full of questions, but she knew that when Moko tolda story, it made her angry to be interrupted by questions, and then thestory was left unfinished.
"Together their forefathers came from the far north where snow coversthe ground all the time," Moko went on. "They came on sleds made fromhides of strange snow animals, and the sleds were drawn by wild dogsthat were more like lobo wolves than our Indian dogs.
"For a long distance they travelled; but the snow melted and the dogssickened and died, so the Comanches could go no farther. Then the headchiefs and all the Medicine Men of the five tribes prayed that the GreatSpirit would help them, and while they prayed a big herd of wild horsesapproached the camp.
"The Comanches worked patiently until they caught a pony using a longrope and noose made of hides from their broken sleds. After they hadcaught the first pony, an Indian got on it and rode among the others,and soon they had a pony for each Comanche. That was how the Comanchesbecame "pony Indians" instead of foot Indians who followed the dog teamsin the land of long snows.
"Then they started south once more, and the wild ponies followed thosewhich the Comanches rode, until they found a place where the snows fellonly a short time. There they found grass for the ponies. Antelopes,roots, and berries furnished food for the Indians, and fish swimming inthe rivers were caught by hooks made from curved thorns on the bushesnear the water. So the Comanches stayed there and thrived and were happyuntil strange people found the place.
"The Comanches met them as friends, for they had no quarrel with any manin those days, and they believed that the new people were sent by theGreat Spirit and were his children. The faces of the strangers werewhite, and they were so tall that even the tallest Comanche's head didnot reach these men's shoulders.
"From the rising of the sun to its setting, the strange men built strongforts and big towns on high places. They were brave, war-like and proud,and the Comanches were their friends and brothers, until the white menforgot justice and mercy and honour and fought the Indians, driving themfrom their homes and taking their lands. Our people moved back, but theothers followed, until the Indians, in despair, begged the Great Spiritto save their families and their homes.
"Then the anger of the Great Spirit fell upon the white men, and heswept them with fires that destroyed their great cities and forts.Floods carried away their horses, and disease wiped their people fromthe face of the earth, until only great earth mounds and a few crumblingruins were left of the cities and fortresses, and not one of theirpeople remained in the land.
"But the Comanches were blessed by the Great Spirit, so that theythrived and were happy. And now, other white men have come, and they,too, fight us and wish to take our lands and ponies and game and destroyour homes. But in the same way, sorrow will come to these other whitemen who are driving the Indians from their homes. They forget that theGreat Spirit watches all. He sent Preloch, the mother of Quannah, to usand through her son the Quahadas shall find the way to honour and peaceand their children shall prosper."
"Moko"--Songbird leaned nearer the Picture Maker, who looked down intoher face--"my father wants to bring Preloch and Prairie Flower back hereagain. Do you think the white men will let them come if my father doesnot fight?"
"They will come back," answered Moko, looking through the opening of thetepee and across the prairie, as though she saw the mother and the babycoming toward the camp. "The white men took them away, but the GreatSpirit will bring her back to her own people. The white men are strongand many, but the Great Spirit is stronger. The white men will do as theGreat Spirit bids, and Preloch and Prairie Flower will come back againwith honour, and her husband, Peta Nocona, will be honoured, and thewhite men will honour their son, Quannah, Chief of the Quahadas."
"When will they come, Moko?" whispered Songbird, her eyes shining withjoy. "My father speaks many times of his wish to bring them back so thatsome day he may sleep beside them among our people."
"Only the Great Spirit knows," the Picture Maker said, and her whitehead bent over the wrinkled hands that lay idly in her lap. "I am oldand weary with sorrow. Before many moons I shall hear the cry of theGreat Eagle, but you, the daughter of Quannah, shall see and know that Ihave spoken the truth this day. Preloch and Prairie Flower will comeback to the Quahadas. The trees, the wind, the stars have given me thispromise because I am old and weary and cannot stay with my people muchlonger, but I know it is the truth, for the Great Spirit watches over usall, and he is just."
So months passed in the Comanche village, and there was great rejoicingwhen the big buffalo robe had been finished and hung in the tent ofQuannah.
Songbird often sat before it when she was alone, and as she looked atit, she remembered Moko's promise that some day Preloch and PrairieFlower would come back to the Quahadas with honour. She knew that itwould make her father very happy, but she asked the Great Spirit tobring them back very soon, so that Moko might see them once more beforethe call of the Great Eagle came to the old Picture Maker who had lovedPreloch so dearly.
While Songbird had been helping with the robe and listening to Moko'stales, Star had been learning many things about the white people fromthe Big Gray Horse and the Old White Horse. Running Deer tolerated thetwo cavalry horses, but she never became their friend. Hawk, aftergrazing with them and Star for a few days, deserted them. When Starasked the reason, Hawk whirled and faced him.
"I like the Indian ponies better," was his reply. "The strange horsestalk of things I never heard about."
"That is just why I listen to them," said Star.
Hawk yawned sleepily. "What good does it do you to know about thosethings? All I want to know is where to find the best grass and clearestpools of water, and what tree casts the heaviest shadow when the sun ishot."
"You do not belong to the chief," retorted Star. "A chief must know morethan his people, so that he can lead them, and the ponies of a chiefshould know other things besides eating and drinking and sleeping. Thatis why I like to hear the Big Gray Horse and the Old White Horse talk."
"How can their talk help you, or the Quahadas?" snorted Hawkcontemptuously.
"I do not know." Star spoke slowly. "Someday, they say, the white menwill come back to fight the Q
uahadas and conquer them, as the Big GrayHorse says they have conquered other Indians. Maybe if I listencarefully and ask questions I shall be able to help Quannah and Songbirdwhen the white men come to fight."
"You must have been eating crazy weed," grunted Hawk, "for you do notknow how to think right any more. If the white men come, Quannah willsend little boys to whip them and frighten them and their horses, as hedid that other time. Go back to the strange horses, if you wish, but Ishall keep away from them and their foolish talk."
Hawk tossed his head, kicked his heels high in the air, and gallopedaway, while Star went slowly back to the two cavalry horses. Both ofthem nickered softly as he drew near, then their noses touched him, andtheir soft eyes were so friendly that Star forgot how much Hawk'sunkindly manner had hurt him a few minutes before.
In his heart Star knew that Hawk was wrong to believe that nothing wasworth while except eating and drinking and sleeping, but he and Hawk hadbeen companions ever since they had been old enough to stand on theirfeet, and it was not easy to give up his old friend.