Chapter XI
The next morning when Star, with his mother and the Old White Horse, hadfound a nice place to graze near the other ponies, the Big Gray Horsethat Star had noticed the previous night joined them, and the Old WhiteHorse hastened to rub noses with him.
Star watched curiously, then edged cautiously toward them. His nosetwitched, for Star was not quite sure whether he had better bite the BigGray Horse or not. The stranger was so big and was certainly veryhandsome. He had a beautiful long silver tail and a heavy silver mane.His ears were very small and tapered to delicate points, his foreheadwas broad, and his eyes unusually large and bright. His neck archedproudly and when he moved every muscle beneath his glistening dappledskin told how powerful he was. Star reached him, and as they faced eachother, the Big Gray Horse lifted a front hoof and pawed the groundlightly.
The Old White Horse watched him respectfully, and Running Deer joinedthe group, so that the four of them stood with their noses almosttouching.
"Who are you?" asked Running Deer, when the Big Gray Horse showedplainly that he wanted to be friends.
"I am the horse of a general," was the proud answer.
"What is a general?" Star hastened to inquire, and the Big Gray Horselooked at him in surprise.
"A general is a great soldier who commands many men," he said. "GeneralMackenzie owns me, but I was confused by the noise and the darkness andthought that I was running with our troop horses. When I learned that Iwas among the Indian ponies it was too late for me to escape, for theComanches chased me back into their own herd each time I tried to getaway."
"I was confused, but not afraid," the Old White Horse explained. "I havebeen so many years a troop horse that I am not a coward in a fight. Youbelieve that, don't you?" He looked anxiously at the Big Gray Horse.
"Yes," it answered. "Neither a man nor a horse that has grown old inthe service turns coward when he grows old. Sometimes we horses run justbecause other horses are running; sometimes we misunderstand our ordersand run wild. That was how many horses broke loose when the Indian boyshit us over the heads and backs with those bits of buffalo hide. Whensome picket-ropes broke, the rest of us thought we would be left behind,so we all struggled until we were free. Then I ran, guided by the soundof other hoofs in the darkness, and not waiting to know whether thosearound me were troop horses or Comanche ponies. I thought I was doingwhat was right and best."
"And then what happened?" Star questioned eagerly.
"The soldiers fired their guns, and many tried to catch the runninghorses which were dragging long ropes. The Comanches were all around inthe darkness. Then all I really knew after that was that a lot of uswere among the Comanche ponies and the warriors were urging us on. Itwas dawn when we halted, and the soldiers were nowhere to be seen."
"Nearly all of the White Troop horses are with us," the Old White Horsespoke.
Star lifted his head and glanced over the peacefully grazing herd, wherea large number of white animals were mixed among the Comanche ponies.They were easily picked out, not only because of their colour, but alsobecause they were much larger than the Indian ponies.
"Your fighting men cannot follow us," bragged Star, "for they have noponies now."
"You are wrong," replied the Big Gray Horse. "There are hundreds morehorses, hundreds more soldiers who will follow the Comanches. The whitemen are like the blades of grass, the stars in the sky, or the leaves ofthe trees in a great forest. No one can count them. Others will join ourmasters and keep on the trail until the Indians are all conquered. Iknow what I say, for I have listened to my General and all his officerstalking while they rode together."
"Why do they wish to conquer us?" demanded Star angrily. "The land, thegrass, the rivers belong to us! Why do the white men come out of farplaces to take these things away from us?"
"I am only a horse," the other replied. "How can I tell? I only knowthat my General holds the rein that guides me, and I love and obey him.Sometimes while he rides slowly, he and the other officers talktogether. Then we, their horses, listen. So we learn much, but there aremany things none of us understand."
"Have you, too, heard them talk?" Running Deer questioned the Old WhiteHorse which had kept silent all this time.
"I do not belong to an officer," he said. "I am only a troop horse. Asoldier rides me and we must follow the officers. My rider is an oldsoldier. I am a very old troop horse. Our duty is to obey, not askquestions, nor reason. Whether we are on parade or fighting, all I haveto remember is to mind the reins quickly, to listen sharply for thebugle calls, and to keep my eyes fixed on the little pointed flag of ourtroop. For that is the troop guidon. Where it leads, we follow."
"We horses do not want to fight you ponies," the Big Gray Horse went onas the Old White Horse stopped speaking. "We have no quarrel betweenus."
"Maybe if the Indians and the white men could understand one another'stalk it would stop the fighting," Running Deer joined the conversationagain. "We horses understand one another and we do not want to fight.Preloch understood the Comanche tongue, and she did not fight them. Shemade peace between those who wished to fight in the tribe. When peopledo not understand one another that must be the reason for all thetrouble!"
"Then white men never fight with one another!" Star exclaimed suddenly.
The Big Gray Horse and the Old White Horse hung their heads and weresilent, while the two Comanche ponies looked at them.
"_Do the white men fight one another?_" demanded Running Deer at last.
"Yes, sometimes," the Big Gray Horse replied. "There are white men whosteal, kill, betray, and oppress the weak and helpless. Those who knowthe law and break it are punished by the law."
"But the Indians do not know the white man's law, neither do they speakthe same tongue," snorted Running Deer, while her eyes showed little redsparks of anger. "It was the white men who fought the Quahadas and tookaway Preloch and Prairie Flower."
"The Comanches had killed and stolen white women and children," repliedthe Big Gray Horse. "So that was why the white men fought the Indiansand took Quannah's mother and sister captive."
"Then how are the white men any better than the Comanches?" Running Deersnapped angrily. "You tell us that the white men are wise and good, andthat the Comanches should learn the white men's ways and their laws, andyet you also say that the white men fight, steal, oppress, and kill oneanother, and if the Comanches take a white man's squaw or children, itis right for the white men to kill us, steal our women and children, anddestroy our homes! If that is the right law for them, it is the rightlaw for us. How can they teach us to be better than they are,themselves?"
"Just as you speak, I once heard an officer speak," responded the BigGray Horse. "But when an order comes to an officer, he must obey. If wehorses feel the reins, hear the bugle calling, see the troop guidonfluttering ahead of us, we ask no questions. Like our masters who rideus, we obey, for wherever the flag leads, we must follow and uphold it.There is much I do not understand, but I do know we horses have noquarrel with the Comanche ponies."
"Let us leave those things to men," the Old White Horse said. "We horsesare good friends and will not bite or kick one another. Why should wefight when there is grass enough for us all? The world is big!"
"You are right," was Running Deer's comment. "And now if you will comewith me I will show you where the grass is sweeter and more tender thanany other spot for miles around. Only a few ponies besides myself andStar know the place. We will share it with you."
Side by side the troop horse and the horse of the general followed theComanche mare and her colt.