Buffalo Before Breakfast

from his bones.”
    Jack started making a list.
    â€œCups from his horns,” Grandmother went on. “Ropes from his hair. Even winter sleds from his ribs.”
    Jack finished his list.

    â€œThat reminds me of the seal hunter in the Arctic,” said Annie. “He used all the gifts from the seal’s body. He didn’t waste a thing.”
    Just then, Teddy began growling and barking.
    Jack and Annie turned around. They both gasped.
    Coming out of Grandmother’s tepee was a huge wolf!

The wolf had yellow eyes and sharp teeth.
    Teddy snarled and barked. Annie rushed forward to grab the little dog.
    Suddenly the wolf stood up on its hind legs!
    â€œYikes!” said Annie.
    She leaped back.
    Then she and Jack started to laugh.
    The fierce wolf was Black Hawk wearing a wolf’s hide! His head came out through a slit near the wolf’s neck. He gave Jack and Annie a little smile.
    â€œThat’s a great wolf suit,” said Annie.
    â€œWhy do you wear that?” asked Jack.
    â€œThe wolf is the most powerful hunter of the buffalo,” said Black Hawk. “When I wear his skin, I feel his strength.”
    â€œWow,” said Annie.
    Black Hawk looked at his grandmother.
    â€œMay I show them the buffalo now?” he said.
    â€œOnly
show
,” said Grandmother. “Do not hunt. We have enough meat today.”
    She looked back at Jack and Annie.
    â€œLakota never take more buffalo than we need,” she said.
    â€œThat’s good,” said Annie.
    Black Hawk handed his wolf skin to Grandmother. Then he ran to the grazing ponies.
    He climbed on his. Then he herded two ponies, one black and one yellow, over to Jack and Annie.
    â€œHi, Midnight. Hi, Sunlight,” said Annie, naming the ponies. She patted their noses.
    â€œAnnie,” whispered Jack. “How are we going to ride without saddles or reins?”
    â€œJust hold on to their manes,” she said, “and grip with your 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