| Show pretty-1ittle-town cry of the yellow-breasted meadowlarks He watched as brown hawks and najestic eagles circled lazily soaring on wind currents caught their excitement as they dove swiftly toward the earth catching their smaller prey in powerful talons He chased groundhogs and chipmunks and sat motionless when the graceful deer surprised him But most of all he enjoyed riding his pony swiftly across the valley when he had some free time Though Will had friends anong the other boys herding fanily cattle in the big field he made new friends too the Indian boys who tended their livestock in the valley The Wahpitts in particular made him feel almost likemember of their family On days when the cattle grazed quietly the young Indians and Will rode their ponies between the cedars across the meadows through the streams They fairly seemed to fly like the Mrds they eagerly watched And Will quickly learned enough of the Indiandialect to be able to communicate with them Will was inquisitive and wanted to know more about the world around him Days in school werenhis favorite--though he was proud of knowing how to read and write He didnmind going to school during the winter--just across the road from his house--but sometimes when his mother needed him at home and he hadfew minutes of spare time he sat on the roof of their house caught the suibeans inbit ofmirror and flashed them in the eyes of the teacher in the schoolroom Will wasncertain the teacher had figured out just what it was that occasionally nearly blinded him with such brilliant beans but sometimes he hadsuspicion the teacher caught on Perhaps One day was especially good Will thought The cattle had been easy to handle the sun had shone without too much heat the birds had kept upconstant serenade and Will spent part share their of the day with the Wahpitts That is the day had been especially good until they invited him to meal That when it had changed squaw kneading Will had been glad to share someonemeal he was tired of eating the same old things so he had eagerly accepted young Wahpitts invitation--at first He watched the the tlack-meal cakes patting and shaping them slapping them against her bare thigh and throwing them high in the air until they hit the top of the teepee She was adept and dexterous as she formed the patties Then came Willmistake he asked what was in the black-meal cakes Crushed crickets His appetite was gone |
