Conquering Horse by Frederick Manfred

Author:Frederick Manfred [Manfred, Frederick]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 978-0-8032-5588-3
Publisher: UNP - Bison Books
Published: 2013-02-14T16:00:00+00:00

3

He awoke in the dark. He lay awake on the grass.

Presently he felt something tugging him. A thing warm and strong had a grip on his heart, and it pulled as if to help him to his feet.

Finally the pulling became so insistent he had to get up. He threw quiver and pack over his shouder.

“I am coming,” he said, eyes glowing. He walked quietly. After a while he saw something just ahead in the pre-dawn dark. It curved in a long uneven line before him. “Trees,” he said softly, “ae, and a stream.” He walked straight for it, unworried that someone might be skulking after him.

The land dipped and the grass deepened. The grass was very wet and soon his leggings and moccasins were soaked. The blades were as sharp as bird teeth. He moved through them slowly to avoid getting cut.

Soon trees lifted over him. From the rustling sound he recognized them as cottonwoods. They grew thickly together and were short. He touched them as he moved through them. Some twenty steps further he saw stars twinkling at his feet. He knelt. With his finger tip he touched water. It was a softly flowing stream and it was cool. He had a long drink. The water was gritty with silt and afterward his teeth hurt. He removed his leathers and bathed in the stream. He scrubbed himself harshly with the sandy water. He took down his braids and rinsed them. He combed out his long black hair. He fluffed his hair in the air until it was nearly dry, then he did it up in braids again and bound them tight around his head and put on his wolf cap.

Dawn burst over the horizon. It bloomed over him like an opening lily. It yellowed his buckskins. It yellowed the deep slough grass. It yellowed the undersides of the leaves of the rustling trees.

He danced a short dance in greeting to the oscillating sun. He sang in a low voice:

“I was lost in a wide place

Where the wolf did not dare to come.

Yet you found me, friend.

I stumbled in a wide place

Where the coyote slid away.

Yet you showed me the truth path, friend.

The world is very wide.”

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