Buffalo Before Breakfast Read Free Page A

legs. Watch.”
    Annie threw her arms around Midnight’s neck. She slung her leg over the pony’s back and pulled herself up.
    â€œI’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.
    â€œGiddy-up, Midnight!” said Annie. The pony started to walk away.
    â€œWait—” 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!
    â€œWait—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.
    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.
    â€œHand 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.
    The true name of the buffalo is “bison.” At the beginning of the 1800s, there were 40 million bison on the Great Plains. One hundred years later, there were less than 300. Almost all had been killed by white hunters and soldiers.
    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.
    â€œI have been on many hunts,” Black Hawk said, his eyes still on the buffalo.
    â€œWere you scared?” said Jack.
    Black Hawk shook his head.
    â€œYou’re really brave,” said Annie.
    Black Hawk smiled proudly.
    â€œI will show you how a brave hunter moves,” he said.
    He slid off his pony.
    â€œWait, your grandmother said not to hunt,” said Annie. “Plus, you don’t have your wolf suit.”
    â€œI am not afraid,” said Black Hawk.
    â€œI 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.
    â€œI have a feeling something bad is going to happen,” said Annie.
    Jack had the same feeling. He looked back at the book.
    A bison can weigh two thousand pounds and stand six feet high. If one becomes alarmed by a hunter, he might start running and set off a terrifying stampede.
    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.
    â€œWhat’s he doing?” asked