Star

ts head long enough to blink at the Comanche pony as it rolled over. Then Star scrambled to h

y away from the herd, grazing as they went. Star told his mother all that the troop horse had been talking ab

ar or Running Deer, because all the Comanches knew that neither of these ponies would stray far away. But the rolling hills stretched temptingly, and at times Star and his mother raced after each other, kicking

he ponies' manes, lifting the heavy black hair and tumbling it across their eyes, so that it tickled their ears until Star tossed his head. The only sound was the song of a mockingbird guarding the nest on which its mate sat patiently with her wings spread over t

d chased one another in play, or nibbled at the grass roots. An antelope with her fawn at her side appeared for an instant on one of the hilltops, her

er go, but Star spoke

But I like the old white horse, and I am glad that he is going to stay with us. He is a very wis

rned the two ponies that the coyotes were gathering for the night. Both Star and

he could command a view for some distance. Then he squatted silently, watching everything with his keen, green e

escape, but when the wind blew away from him toward another animal o

trongest, swiftest, and most daring of a pack for the leader. At nightfall these leaders raced ahead of their packs across the

r. After that other coyotes took up the cry, and then from all sides

o hiding. Antelopes and deer huddled more closely, keeping the young, weak fawns in the centre. Often the hungry coyotes formed yelping circles about the antelopes, and at times made

gs, with long, many-pronged horns, dashed at the coyotes and, if close enough, tossed or gored their foes, often rear

uffalo calves had been dragged down by a bunch of the prowling animals. Star's mother had many times shown him torn bits of buffalo hide and scattered bones which t

iedly to Star, who needed no urging. Turning sharply on their hind hoofs, they sta

. The sound of the pack grew louder, and the gray brutes came over the hill yelping with g

nose near Star's, but her eyes straight ahead of her. "They run fast to-

so he listened to every word and obeyed her. Both ponies were puffing slightly, but their pace did not change thou

. "The coyotes cannot catch either of us unless we stumble. I

r and fight the coyotes with his teeth and his heels so the hungry beasts c

es in front of him, and once he fell and skinned his knees

ward to see how near they were. Star wondered how it would feel to have a coyote

ack now! We are gai

all running much more slowly. A few had halted and showed plainly that they intended to look elsewhere for their dinner that night. One by on

w, and her nose reached across to Star's-"I thought we tw

knees made him wish he could stand in cool water for a li

but he was glad it had not been necessary for either of them to make such a fight against their foes. With several hundred hungry coyotes against them,

place and safety for the night. Star, because of his raw knees, lagged slightly behind his moth

was the first to speak as they looked do

h's camp. Come! We must hurry. They must have missed us by this time. Quann

rstood her worry, or at least he thought he did; but he wondered at her nervous starts and snorts, for there was nothing that threatened either of them now. Coyotes sometimes ventured close to the

ught the scent of the pony herd and knew they were close by. But he jumped back snortin

our ponies! They have captured the herders, too! Quannah

s camp, almost a mile away, they heard the terrible noise of fire-sticks. I

d at each other. Both trembled with fear of the

do?" the colt a

o Songbird. You must go to her and help her escape the white men, so that they may not take

ear the big camp. He thought of the packs of coyotes and the long, lonesome miles that he must travel to reach the camp where the women and children waited the return of

re drawn in so that her nose looked thin, and little red sparks of anger glittered in

ward? Go! I tell you go at once! You

away. Forgetting the coyotes and the loneliness of the trail and with no further thought of his cut knees, he raced furiously into the g