One summer morning an Indian boy
stood alone on the prairie. The great
rolling land stretched as far as he could
see on every side. It was covered with
high green grass. Every summer the
buffaloes came in big herds across the
prairie. It was then that the buffalo hunts
took place. Even now a hunt had started.
~
Crying Coyote had been sent out to
watch, and to let the hunters know when
he saw buffaloes coming. He had been
picked from all the boys because he ran
so swiftly. The older boys said that
running was all Crying Coyote could do.
They laughed at him.
~
He had been named Crying Coyote
because as a baby he was afraid.
He had cried out at the barking of a
coyote at night. How he wished for
another name!
~
From his watching place the boy heard
a low rumbling sound. Quickly he put his
ear to the ground. The rumbling grew to
the thud, thud, thud of faraway feet.
Crying Coyote jumped up and ran to the
top of a little hill. From there he could
see far, far across the prairie to the East.
~
From the hilltop the thud, thud, thud
of the buffalo feet sounded closer.
Crying Coyote wondered how large
the herd was. It was still too far away
to be seen.
~
Far out across the prairie, clouds of
smoke hung in the air. The boy knew
that some hunters had gone far to the
East to drive the buffaloes toward the
West. These men had lighted fires in the
grass to frighten the buffaloes.
~
The animals would turn and run from
the fires. They would run toward the
West away from the strange red danger.
And to the West other hunters waited
near a big trap, or pound. It had been
made near some trees that grew on the
banks of a river.
~
Branches and tree trunks had been piled
together to make a fence. In the East side
a gateway had been left open.
~
Thud, thud, thud! The rumbling of the
buffalo feet grew louder and louder.
Now Crying Coyote could see the leaders
of the herd. More and more buffaloes
came. They looked like tiny spots on the
wide prairie. They were coming very fast.
~
Crying Coyote threw a wolf skin high
into the air. It was a signal to the men
near the pound that all was well.
Four times he threw his wolf skin.
Then on swift moccasins he ran toward
the pound. Two lines of rock piles led
toward the pound. The hunters were
hiding behind these, waiting to drive
the buffaloes the last little way into
the trap.
~
Black Eagle
~
Thud, thud, thud came the sound of feet
behind Crying Coyote. Now the herd
was so near to him that he was afraid.
What would happen if he did not reach
a place behind the rocks in time?
~
But now Crying Coyote was near a
rock pile. Quickly he jumped behind it.
His friend Black Eagle was there, too.
"Is the herd a large one?" he asked.
~
"The prairie to the East is covered with
buffaloes!" said Crying Coyote.
Just then the leader of the herd raced
by the rock pile where the two boys
were hiding. Down toward the pound
the great animal went.
The other buffaloes followed close behind.
~
Someone gave a signal. All at once,
from behind the many piles of rocks,
jumped men and boys. They waved skins
in the air and shouted at the buffaloes.
~
The frightened animals ran faster.
They pushed against each other.
Black Eagle and Crying Coyote ran
with the men, driving the buffaloes on.
All at once one young buffalo ran back
from the herd. With his great head and
sharp horns, he came straight toward
Crying Coyote.
~
It seemed as if the boy were turned to
stone. He could not move or cry out.
He was in great danger. But Black Eagle
jumped quickly to save him. Black Eagle
threw his wolf skin into the buffaloes
face.
~
It stopped the animal long enough for
Black Eagle to pull his friend behind
a pile of rocks. Crying Coyote fell to the
ground, very much frightened.
"You should stay with the women until
the hunt is over," said Black Eagle.
"You're no hunter! You're just a
crying child!"
~
Crying Coyote was very sad. He could
not help it! The buffalo had come so
quickly! He had had no time!
Then he thought, "Black Eagle had time
to think! Why did I stand still, while he
threw the wolf skin?"
~
Now the leader of the herd was inside
the pound, and the other buffaloes
were pushing against him. He began to
circle round and round inside the fence.
Other frightened animals joined him.
Round and round they circled in a cloud
of dust. Men and boys drove in the last
buffalo. Then they threw logs across
the opening.
~
Saving the Hunt
~
With bows and arrows ready, the hunters
waited for the signal to begin the
shooting. Suddenly an arrow shot up into
the air, through the cloud of dust. Up and
up it went, as if it were shot from a giant's
bow. It was Great Bear's signal for the
shooting to begin. Great Bear was
Crying Coyote's father.
~
Arrows flew through the air like swift
flying birds. Buffalo after buffalo fell
to the ground. But Crying Coyote did not
join in the shooting. He went alone
to the far side of the pound. Black Eagle
had called him a child, who should stay
with the women.
~
Through the dust Crying Coyote watched,
but he did not shoot. He was so close
to the buffaloes that he could almost
put his hand on their great backs.
Then Crying Coyote saw one buffalo
stop running in circles. It stood pawing
the ground. Then it ran at the side
of the pound and pushed against the
branches and tree trunks. Crying Coyote
ran toward the spot. The other hunters
were far away at the other side
of the pound. There was no one else
near.
~
Down came the branches and tree trunks
as the buffalo pushed its way between
them. Crying Coyote shouted to drive the
animal back, but it did no good. If one
buffalo ran away, the boy knew that the
herd would follow and be lost. Crying
Coyote ran close to the animal and
waved his wolf skin. The buffalo still
pushed against the side of the pound.
~
Then another tree trunk fell from its
place. It knocked Crying Coyote down
and held him to the ground. The buffalo
was almost upon him. At first the boy
was very much afraid. Then all at once
he knew he must save the hunt. It was
his father's hunt. He must work quickly.
Crying Coyote picked up his bow and
put an arrow in place. With a quick pull
he shot from where he lay. One, two,
three arrows he shot into the body
of the buffalo.
~
The animal stood over Crying Coyote
for a minute. Then it fell. Its body lay
against the tree trunk, and the boy was
held fast to the ground. He shouted,
but no one could hear. No one could
see with the dust flying. He could not
move, but he was happy. The body
of the buffalo had blocked the opening
between the logs. No other animal could
pass through it. He, Crying Coyote had
saved the hunt.
~
Great Bear's Messenger
~
It was Black Eagle who found Crying
Coyote at last. He shouted to the men
to come quickly. Many hands pulled
the buffalo and the tree trunk off Crying
Coyote, and helped him to his feet.
Then the world seemed to go round and
round, and he sat down quickly,
not knowing where he was. Black Eagle
gave him water from a buffalo horn.
~
Then Crying Coyote saw that Great Bear,
his father, stood before him. "What has
happened?" asked Great Bear, as he
looked at his son.
~
The boy did not speak, but Black Eagle
answered quickly, "A buffalo pushed
between the logs at this place. See,
the buffalo is shot now, and no other
animal got through the opening."
"And who shot the animal?" asked Great
Bear. "What arrows are these?"
~
"The arrows are Crying Coyote's,"
said Black Eagle proudly.
~
"The boy did well," said the hunters.
He saved us many animals!"
~
At first Great Bear did not speak, but he
stood looking at his son. "Go," he said
at last. Carry word to the people that
there has been a great hunt. Tell them
to move the tents to this spot, so that the
women may dry the meat and dress
the hides. Great Bear sends the word."
~
Crying Coyote looked at his father in
surprise. Was he speaking to him?
Then the boy understood. His father was
sending him as his messenger.
~
It was as if Great Bear said to all the
world, "My son is no longer a child and
afraid. Before all the people I make him
my messenger. No longer shall he be
called Crying Coyote. His name shall be
He~Who-Thinks-Fast-and-Runs-Quickly."
~
Crying Coyote got to his feet. His body
no longer shook from his fall. Straight
and tall he stood. His eyes met Black
Eagle's. The older boy looked at him
proudly. Crying Coyote was very happy,
but he would not show it. Without a word
the boy turned and started down the trail.
It led a half day's run across the prairie
to the Indian tents.
~
The sun was going down, but there was
still some daylight left. There would be
a moon that night to show the way when
the sun was gone. Swiftly and proudly
the boy ran along the trail.