Black Hawk led Jack and Annie toward the tepees. Everyonekept watching them.
Jack couldn't tell what anyone was thinking. No one lookedangry. But no one looked happy, either.
Jack wondered how to appear brave.
He glanced at Annie. She walked tall and straight. Her chinwas up. Her face was calm.
Jack straightened his shoulders. He lifted his chin, and he feltbraver.
Black Hawk stopped and slid off his pony. The pony headedfor the grazing pasture.
Then Black Hawk led them to a tepee. It was covered withbuffalo designs.
"Grandmother is inside," Black Hawk said to Jack and Annie.
Inside, the tepee looked like a small round room. A fire burnedin the center. Smoke rose through a hole at the top.
An old woman sat on animal skins. She was sewing beadsonto a moccasin.
She looked up at Jack and Annie.
"Grandmother," said Black Hawk. "This is Jack and Anniefrom Frog Creek, Pennsylvania"Jack and Annie both held up two fingers for "friend."Grandmother raised two fingers also.
Then Jack took off his coonskin cap. He gave it toGrandmother.
She put the cap on her head, then laughed. Jack and Annielaughed, too.
Grandmother's laughter and kind face reminded Jack of hisown grandmother.
"You wish to learn our ways," she said.
Jack and Annie nodded. Jack could tell she was wise.
Grandmother stood and left the tepee. They followed her.
Outside, everyone was busy again. They all seemed to knowthat Jack and Annie weren't enemies.
Jack looked around the camp.
Men and boys carved bows. Women and girls pounded meatand sewed clothes. One girl was adding claws to a buckskinshirt.
"The bear claws will give her the strength of the bear," saidGrandmother. "She will sew on hawk feathers, elk teeth, andporcupine quills, too. All will give her the power of the animals."Jack pulled out his notebook and wrote:
Sew bear claws to shirt"I have strong animal power when I go on a buffalo hunt,"Black Hawk said proudly.
"What do you mean?" asked Jack.
"I will show you," said Black Hawk. "Wait."Black Hawk went back inside the tepee.
Annie turned to Grandmother.
"Why does he hunt the buffalo?" she asked.
"The buffalo gives our people many gifts," said the oldwoman. "Food from his body. Tepees from his skin, tools fromhis bones."Jack started making a list.
"Cups from his horns," Grandmother went on. "Ropes from hishair Even winter sleds from his ribs."Jack finished his list.
BuffaloSkin = tepeeBones=toolsHorns= cupsHair= ropesRibs=sleds"That 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 athing."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! |