Chapter III
Ever since Star had been strong enough to bear Songbird's weight on hisback, they had wandered together near the camp. Sometimes they climbedthe steep mountains so that they could look down on the tepees whichseemed only tiny white spots; or they raced after a coyote across theprairie, and again they moved more slowly beside the streams where theycould see silvery fish darting from one deep pool to another.
Always Star watched carefully that he might not step on a loose rock, orinto a prairie-dog hole. That would make him stumble and throw hislittle mistress, and Star's mother had warned him of the danger. Manytimes they paused beside the stream so that Star could thrust hisvelvety nose into the cool ripples, while Songbird, higher up the creek,would lie flat, face downward, and touch the water with her lips.
At times she would sit in the shade of a tree near the stream and Starwould lie down beside her. Then she would pluck wild flowers and weavethem into his mane and make a wreath of them for her head, while shetold the pony that the big, white clouds drifting slowly over them werethe tepees of great warriors who had gone to the Happy Hunting Grounds,where they rode their favourite ponies all day long. But when the Spiritof the Sun rode over the edge of the world at night, the warriorsfollowed him that the Spirit of Darkness might not overtake them, andthe clouds followed after them.
One morning Songbird came to him and said, "There is a long journey foryou to-day."
As she patted his neck, he noticed unusual excitement in the camp. Thewarriors were gathering the pony herd instead of letting it wander tograze until night. Men were rushing about, and the squaws were takingdown many tepees. Some of the men were helping them roll things inbuffalo robes which they tied with long thongs cut from cured hides.Then these bundles were placed on the backs of pack-ponies and fastenedso that they could not slip off. Even the children were helping insteadof playing about.
Quannah was directing everything while he stood near his tepee, a shortdistance from Songbird and Star. At last the packing ended and thewarriors, mounted on their best ponies, moved slowly away from camp,while behind them came extra ponies and then, still farther behind,trotted the pack-ponies.
As Star watched, wondering what it all meant, an Indian led Running Deerto Quannah. The chief spoke hastily yet tenderly to Songbird, wholistened seriously to his words. Then Quannah sprang to Running Deer'sback.
Songbird slipped her arms about Star's neck and he felt her soft lipstouch the white spot in the middle of his forehead. He was a jet-blackpony except for this white mark which formed a perfect star, and whichwas almost hidden by the heavy forelock of hair that dangled to hiseyes.
Quannah sat on the back of Running Deer, and watched Songbird, whoturned suddenly and spoke.
"I have no brother! Let me go with you?"
"You must stay here with the women and children," Star heard the chiefreply. "We go to meet men. It is safe here for the women and children.You must stay with them until I return."
The pony saw that all the Comanche herd was moving away from the camp,and he turned quickly to his mother.
"Must I stay, too?" he asked anxiously.
"No," she replied, "you go with me, so that Quannah may ride you to restmy back on the journey. It will be hard riding for many long days. We goto fight the white men and if we find them, many warriors and ponies maynever come back. You are old enough and strong enough now to do yourpart in the work of the Comanche ponies. Come, keep beside me and I willtell you what to do."
Star felt very proud and important as he trotted at his mother's side,but he could not help twisting his neck to look back now and then at hislittle mistress who stood alone in front of the big tepee of the chief.He saw her stretch out her arms toward her father, but Quannah did notsee her do it. Suddenly she drew a corner of her blanket over her head,so that her face was hidden that none might see her grief; then sheturned into the tepee and the flap closed.
While Star had been watching all this, the other ponies had moved pasthim, and he heard his mother calling angrily, urging him to hurry toher side. She was in the lead. Far ahead of Star the ponies were movingswiftly. Some carried packs, others bore warriors, and the unmountedponies of the herd were kept from straying by warriors who rode oneither side. Not one Comanche pony had been left in the camp where thewomen and children now remained. It was all very strange. Star gallopedto his mother knowing she could explain everything, for she was a verywise pony and the favourite of the chief. She was very angry, andsnapped at his shoulder when he reached her side.
"You are disgracing me when you lag at the back of the herd. You belongat the front of it, with me. The chief's pony travels ahead of all theothers."
"Where are we going?" he asked after a short silence.
"I do not know," she answered, still angry. "That does not concerneither of us. When the chief speaks no one questions and all obey. Hegives orders to the warriors and they do his bidding. He moves his handand I obey the rein. That is all I know. Ponies do not need to knowanything else. Your duty now is to follow me and keep at my side, sothat you may be near if I fall or am hurt or weary. Then Quannah willride you."
As they travelled many miles, Star kept closely beside his mother, buthe could not forget Songbird and how she had held out her arms, thenwith covered face had gone alone into the big tepee of her father, theChief of the Quahada Comanches.