Ever since Star had been strong enough to bear Songbird's weight on his
back, they had wandered together near the camp. Sometimes they climbed
the steep mountains so that they could look down on the tepees which
seemed only tiny white spots; or they raced after a coyote across the
prairie, and again they moved more slowly beside the streams where they
could see silvery fish darting from one deep pool to another.
Always Star watched carefully that he might not step on a loose rock, or
into a prairie-dog hole. That would make him stumble and throw his
little mistress, and Star's mother had warned him of the danger. Many
times they paused beside the stream so that Star could thrust his
velvety 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 Star
would lie down beside her. Then she would pluck wild flowers and weave
them into his mane and make a wreath of them for her head, while she
told the pony that the big, white clouds drifting slowly over them were
the tepees of great warriors who had gone to the Happy Hunting Grounds,
where they rode their favourite ponies all day long. But when the Spirit
of the Sun rode over the edge of the world at night, the warriors
followed him that the Spirit of Darkness might not overtake them, and
the clouds followed after them.
One morning Songbird came to him and said, "There is a long journey for
you to-day."
As she patted his neck, he noticed unusual excitement in the camp. The
warriors were gathering the pony herd instead of letting it wander to
graze until night. Men were rushing about, and the squaws were taking
down many tepees. Some of the men were helping them roll things in
buffalo robes which they tied with long thongs cut from cured hides.
Then these bundles were placed on the backs of pack-ponies and fastened
so that they could not slip off. Even the children were helping instead
of playing about.
Quannah was directing everything while he stood near his tepee, a short
distance from Songbird and Star. At last the packing ended and the
warriors, 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 Deer
to Quannah. The chief spoke hastily yet tenderly to Songbird, who
listened seriously to his words. Then Quannah sprang to Running Deer's
back.
Songbird slipped her arms about Star's neck and he felt her soft lips
touch the white spot in the middle of his forehead. He was a jet-black
pony except for this white mark which formed a perfect star, and which
was almost hidden by the heavy forelock of hair that dangled to his
eyes.
Quannah sat on the back of Running Deer, and watched Songbird, who
turned suddenly and spoke.
"I have no brother! Let me go with you?"
"You must stay here with the women and children," Star heard the chief
reply. "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 rest
my back on the journey. It will be hard riding for many long days. We go
to fight the white men and if we find them, many warriors and ponies may
never come back. You are old enough and strong enough now to do your
part in the work of the Comanche ponies. Come, keep beside me and I will
tell 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 his
little 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 not
see 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 she
turned into the tepee and the flap closed.
While Star had been watching all this, the other ponies had moved past
him, and he heard his mother calling angrily, urging him to hurry to
her side. She was in the lead. Far ahead of Star the ponies were moving
swiftly. Some carried packs, others bore warriors, and the unmounted
ponies of the herd were kept from straying by warriors who rode on
either side. Not one Comanche pony had been left in the camp where the
women and children now remained. It was all very strange. Star galloped
to his mother knowing she could explain everything, for she was a very
wise pony and the favourite of the chief. She was very angry, and
snapped at his shoulder when he reached her side.
"You are disgracing me when you lag at the back of the herd. You belong
at the front of it, with me. The chief's pony travels ahead of all the
others."
"Where are we going?" he asked after a short silence.
"I do not know," she answered, still angry. "That does not concern
either of us. When the chief speaks no one questions and all obey. He
gives orders to the warriors and they do his bidding. He moves his hand
and I obey the rein. That is all I know. Ponies do not need to know
anything else. Your duty now is to follow me and keep at my side, so
that you may be near if I fall or am hurt or weary. Then Quannah will
ride you."
As they travelled many miles, Star kept closely beside his mother, but
he could not forget Songbird and how she had held out her arms, then
with covered face had gone alone into the big tepee of her father, the
Chief of the Quahada Comanches.