Buffalo Before Breakfast

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 Jack.
    â€œ
Ah-ah-CHOO!
” Black Hawk sneezed.
    â€œUh-oh,” said Annie.
    The huge buffalo jerked its head up. It made a low, moaning sound. Then it pointed its horns and charged!
    â€œWatch out!” cried Jack.
    Black Hawk threw himself out of the way of the charging buffalo.

    A ripple went through the herd as other shaggy animals looked up.
    Suddenly, Teddy jumped out of Annie’s arms. He landed in the tall grass and ran toward the buffalo.
    â€œTeddy!” shouted Annie.
    The dog tore down the hill. He bounded along the edge of the herd, barking furiously.
    â€œTeddy, come back!” cried Annie.
    She slid off her pony and ran after Teddy.
    Jack tried to see Black Hawk.
    The boy was still dodging the running buffalo. He looked tired.
    Jack took a deep breath.
    â€œGo to Black Hawk!” he said, nudging Sunlight with his knees.
    The golden pony charged down the slope. He ran between the buffalo.
    â€œBlack Hawk!” Jack shouted.
    Black Hawk started running toward Sunlight. The buffalo swerved behind him.
    Sunlight slowed as Black Hawk got near. The boy threw himself over the golden pony’s back. He held on to Jack as Sunlight veered away from the buffalo and ran back up the slope.
    â€œWhere’s Annie?” Jack cried as they reached the top.
    â€œThere!” said Black Hawk, pointing.
    Annie was surrounded by buffalo—
calm
buffalo. She was patting them and talking to them. The buffalo near her had stopped running, too.
    The ones beyond those started to calm down … then others … until all the buffalo had stopped running. They began grazing again as if nothing had happened.

“She has good medicine,” said Black Hawk.
    â€œAnnie doesn’t have any medicine,” Jack said. “She just has a way with animals.”
    Black Hawk was silent. He climbed back on his waiting pony. Then he rode down toward Annie.
    Jack followed. Annie’s pony trailed behind.
    Annie turned to Jack and Black Hawk as they rode up to her. On her face was a look of amazement.
    â€œYou wouldn’t believe what happened!” she said.
    â€œYou stopped the stampede,” said Black Hawk.
    â€œBut it wasn’t just me,” said Annie.
    â€œWhat do you mean?” asked Jack.
    â€œI was trying to find Teddy,” said Annie, “and I got in the way of the buffalo. I couldn’t escape. So I held up my hands and shouted, ‘
Stop!
’ Then, out of nowhere, a beautiful lady in a white leather dress came to help me.”
    â€œYou saw a lady in white?” asked Black Hawk. His eyes had grown wide.
    â€œYes!” said Annie. “She held up
her
hands, and the buffalo stopped running. Then she disappeared.”
    â€œWhere’s Teddy?” said Jack.
    Annie gasped.
    â€œI don’t know! I forgot about him!” she said. “Teddy! Teddy!”
    Arf! Arf!
    The little dog came bounding out of the grass toward them.
    Annie scooped him up. Teddy licked