He Who Thinks and-Runs Quickly
One summer morning an Indian boy stood alone on the prairie. The great rolling land stretched as far as he could see on every side. It was covered with high green grass. Every summer the buffaloes came in big herds across the prairie. It was then that the buffalo hunts took place. Even now a hunt had started.
Crying Coyote had been sent out to watch, and to let the hunters know when he saw buffaloes coming. He had been picked from all the boys because he ran so swiftly. The older boys said that running was all Crying Coyote could do. They laughed at him.
He had been named Crying Coyote because as a baby he was afraid. He had cried out at the barking of a coyote at night. How he wished for another name!
From his watching place the boy heard a low rumbling sound. Quickly he put his ear to the ground. The rumbling grew to the thud, thud, thud of faraway feet. Crying Coyote jumped up and ran to the top of a little hill. From there he could see far, far across the prairie to the east.
From the hilltop the thud, thud, thud of the buffalo feet sounded closer. Crying Coyote wondered how large the herd was. It was still too far away to be seen.
Far out across the prairie, clouds of smoke hung in the air. The boy knew that some hunters had gone far to the east to drive the buffaloes toward the west. These men had lighted fires in the grass to frighten the buffaloes.
The animals would turn and run from the fires. They would run toward the west away from the strange red danger. And to the west other hunters waited near a big trap, or pound. It had been made near some trees that grew on the banks of a river.
Branches and tree trunks had been piled together to make a fence. In the east side a gateway had been left open.
Thud, thud, thud ! The rumbling of the buffalo feet grew louder and louder. Now Crying Coyote could see the leaders of the herd. More and more buffaloes came. They looked like tiny spots on the wide prairie. They were coming very fast.
Crying Coyote threw a wolf skin high into the air. It was a signal to the men near the pound that all was well. Four times he threw his wolf skin. Then on swift moccasins he ran toward the pound. Two lines of rock piles led toward the pound. The hunters were hiding behind these, waiting to drive the buffaloes the last little way into the trap.
Thud, thud, thud came the sound of feet behind Crying Coyote. Now the herd was so near to him that he was afraid. What would happen if he did not reach a place behind the rocks in time?
But now Crying Coyote was near a rock pile. Quickly he jumped behind it. His friend Black Eagle was there, too. "Is the herd a large one?" he asked.
"The prairie to the east is covered with buffaloes!" said Crying Coyote. Just then the leader of the herd raced by the rock pile where the two boys were hiding. Down toward the pound the great animal went. The other buffaloes followed close behind.
Someone gave a signal. All at once, from behind the many piles of rocks, jumped men and boys. They waved skins in the air and shouted at the buffaloes.
The frightened animals ran faster. They pushed against each other. Black Eagle and Crying Coyote ran with the men, driving the buffaloes on. All at once one young buffalo ran back from the herd. With his great head and sharp horns, he came straight toward Crying Coyote.
It seemed as if the boy were turned to stone. He could not move or cry out. He was in great danger. But Black Eagle jumped quickly to shave him. Black Eagle threw his wolf skin into the buffaloes face.
It stopped the animal long enough for Black Eagle to pull his friend behind a pile of rocks. Crying Coyote fell to the ground, very much frightened. "You should stay with the women until the hunt is over," said Black Eagle. "You're no hunter! You're just a crying child!"
Crying Coyote was very sad. He could not help it! The buffalo had come so quickly ! He had had no time! Then he thought, "Black Eagle had time to think! Why did I stand still, while he threw the wolf skin?"
Now the leader of the herd was inside the pound, and the other buffaloes were pushing against him. He began to circle round and round inside the fence. Other frightened animals joined him. Round and round they circled in a cloud of dust. Men and boys drove in the last buffalo. Then they threw logs across the opening.
With bows and arrows ready, the hunters waited for the signal to begin the shooting. Suddenly an arrow shot up into the air, through the cloud of dust. Up and up it went, as if it were shot from a giant's bow. It was Great Bear's signal for the shooting to begin. Great Bear was Crying Coyote's father.
Arrows flew through the air like swift flying birds. Buffalo after buffalo fell to the ground. But Crying Coyote did not join in the shooting. He went alone to the far side of the pound. Black Eagle had called him a child, who should stay with the women.
Through the dust Crying Coyote watched, but he did not shoot. He was so close to the buffaloes that he could almost put his hand on their great backs. Then Crying Coyote saw one buffalo stop running in circles. It stood pawing the ground. Then it ran at the side of the pound and pushed against the branches and tree trunks. Crying Coyote ran toward the spot. The other hunters were far away at the other side of the pound. There was no one else near.
Down came the branches and tree trunks as the buffalo pushed its way between them. Crying Coyote shouted to drive the animal back, but it did no good. If one buffalo ran away, the boy knew that the herd would follow and be lost. Crying Coyote ran close to the animal and waved his wolf skin. The buffalo still pushed against the side of the pound.
Then another tree trunk fell from its place. It knocked Crying Coyote down and held him to the ground. The buffalo was almost upon him. At first the boy was very much afraid. Then all at once he knew he must have the hunt. It was his father's hunt. He must work quickly. Crying Coyote picked up his bow and put an arrow in place. With a quick pull he shot from where he lay. One, two, three arrows he shot into the body of the buffalo.
The animal stood over Crying Coyote for a minute. Then it fell. Its body lay against the tree trunk, and the boy was held fast to the ground. He shouted, but no one could hear. No one could see with the dust flying. He could not move, but he was happy. The body of the buffalo had blocked the opening between the logs. No other animal could pass through it. He, Crying Coyote had saved the hunt.
It was Black Eagle who found Crying Coyote at last. He shouted to the men to come quickly. Many hands pulled the buffalo and the tree trunk off Crying Coyote, and helped him to his feet. Then the world seemed to go round and round, and he sat down quickly, not knowing where he was. Black Eagle gave him water from a buffalo horn.
Then Crying Coyote saw that Great Bear, his father, stood before him. "What has happened?" asked Great Bear, as he looked at his son.
The boy did not speak, but Black Eagle answered quickly, "A buffalo pushed between the logs at this place. See, the buffalo is shot now, and no other animal got through the opening." "And who shot the animal?" asked Great Bear. "What arrows are these?"
"The arrows are Crying Coyote's," said Black Eagle proudly.
"The boy did well," said the hunters. He saved us many animals!"
At first Great Bear did not speak, but he stood looking at his son. "Go," he said at last. Carry word to the people that there has been a great hunt. Tell them to move the tents to this spot, so that the women may dry the meat and dress the hides. Great Bear sends the word."
Crying Coyote looked at his father in surprise. Was he speaking to him? Then the boy understood. His father was sending him as his messenger.
It was as if Great Bear said to all the world, "My son is no longer a child and afraid. Before all the people I make him my messenger. No longer shall he be called Crying Coyote. His name shall be He-Who-Thinks-Fast-and-Runs-Quickly."
Crying Coyote got to his feet. His body no longer shook from his fall. Straight and tall he stood. His eyes met Black Eagle's. The older boy looked at him proudly. Crying Coyote was very happy, but he would not show it. Without a word the boy turned and started down the trail. It led a half day's run across the prairie to the Indian tents.
The sun was going down, but there was still some daylight left. There would be a moon that night to show the way when the sun was gone. Swiftly and proudly the boy ran along the trail.